Thread by @internetfreedom

Today marks the 5th anniversary of the landmark SC Right to Privacy judgement that changed digital rights history & finally recognised privacy as a fundamental right.

🧵sharing the issues since then & a story of how its implementation went haywire. 1/n
internetfreedom.in/5-years-to-the…

There has been some hope in Courts, where the judgement has formed the basis for decriminalizing same-sex relationships. It was also cited to incrementally advance jurisprudence on criminal investigations.

But India's data privacy under Puttaswamy remains under grave threat. 2/n

1⃣Withdrawal of the Data Protection Bill, 2021
While the Bill was not perfect, its withdrawal in the Lok Sabha means 4 years & multiple rounds of consultations have only led us to a road of disappointment, leaving a dangerous vacuum for data privacy. 3/n
internetfreedom.in/here-lies-the-…

2⃣ #Pegasus & illegal surveillance
The #PegasusProject revealed how the spyware was misused against journalists, politicians, scientists, etc. Mass surveillance at such a scale not only threatens the people's right to privacy but also has a chilling effect on free speech. 4/n

3⃣Increased digitisation + no data protection
The Govt. has pushed for various digital ecosystems & policies (like National Digital Education Architecture, Unified Health Interface, Agristack, etc.) without building proper safeguards against misuse of sensitive personal data. 5/n

4⃣ S for Surveillance
Be it the use of inaccurate facial recognition tech in cases like Kisan Rally & North East Delhi riots, or the contentious Criminal Procedure ID Act, 2022, an alarmingly disproportionate amount of data is being collected under the garb of security. 6/n

5⃣To make things worse, the worrying exercise of forcing #aadhaarwithvoterid linkage & having citizens fear that they might be deleted from the electoral rolls otherwise, is a gigantic leap away from the promise of the SC's Right to Privacy judgement. 7/n

https://twitter.com/internetfreedom/status/1560252009726746624

Privacy IS a human right & its loss can lead to the loss of dignity, liberty & life.

That's why IFF has persevered to not only fight for this right as law & policy, but to counter the very notion that privacy doesn't matter if you've nothing to hide. 8/n
internetfreedom.in/donate/

While the story of Right to Privacy's implementation in India seems bleak, #PrivacySupreme at @bicblr on Aug. 27 will seek some hope through valuable dialogue & art. Register now for our exciting, in-person grand platform of privacy in India! 9/9
eventbrite.com/e/privacy-supr…