Last Month, the #SupremeCourt issued a notice to @GoI_MeitY on account of a PIL filed by @SFLCin challenging #InternetShutdowns imposed to prevent cheating in exams in Indian states.
The next hearing in the case will take place tomorrow.
Here’s everything you need to know: (1/n)
A total of 12 instances of exam-related #internetShutdowns were documented at @SFLCin's internet shutdowns tracker - internetshutdowns.in
There have been 3 more shutdowns, 2 in Assam and 1 in WB, after the petition was filed, bringing the total number to 15. #KeepItOn (3/n)
The first-ever ban on mobile internet services due to exams was witnessed in Gujarat in 2016 where the shutdown lasted for 4 hours during the Revenue Accountants Recruitment Exam. 26 towns and cities were affected, including major industrial regions. (4/n)
#Rajasthan has accounted for the highest number of #InternetShutdowns during examinations. The state has gone back and forth on the issue multiple times, continuing to shut down the internet even after a notice from Jodhpur High Court. #LetTheNetWork#KeepItOn (5/n)
In January 2020, the SC in Anuradha Bhasin v. Union of India upheld that the Internet is a medium for exercising the fundamental freedoms guaranteed under Articles 19(1)(a) and 19(1)(g) and ruled that the orders to shut down the internet must be made public. #LetTheNetWork (6/n)
Neither the Ministry of Telecom nor the Ministry of Home Affairs maintains the records of #InternetShutdowns in India. The data for our @NetShutdowns tracker is collated with the help of news articles and volunteers due to the absence of documentation. (7/n)
The IT standing committee's report on #InternetShutdowns report noted that several shutdown orders were based on a subjective judgment and are essentially executive decisions since there is a lack of objective parameters to determine their merit. (8/n) sflc.in/it-standing-co…
Suspension of mobile internet services results in huge economic losses, especially for small business owners depending on digital payment services. Delivery partners & cab drivers face hurdles in doing their jobs as mobile internet is essential. (9/n) #InternetShutdowns
Through our series 'Lost Voices', we document the voices of people adversely affected by internet shutdowns. Here's a businessman from Kashmir talking about the impact of internet suspensions on the lives of citizens: (10/n)
In the previous hearing on September 9 2022, the honourable Supreme Court agreed to hear @SFLCin’s PIL against arbitrary #InternetShutdowns during exams and issued a notice directing @GoI_MeitY to file its response. (11/n)
Stay tuned as we bring more updates tomorrow! (12/n)
In his annual report, Secretary General Antonio Guterres highlights the disturbing trend of human rights violations against journalists and human rights defenders at the hands of States and non-State actors over the past year.
The UN report said that the surveillance of individuals and groups who cooperate with the UN continued to be reported in all regions with growing evidence of online surveillance and cyberattacks.
The 5-week #DigitalDefendersNetwork training program is designed to impart the legal and technical knowledge necessary to defend digital rights and freedoms.
Big win for digital rights!
Supreme Court issued a notice to @GoI_MeitY today on account of a PIL filed by @SFLCin challenging the imposition of #InternetShutdowns to prevent cheating in exams in several Indian states. @NetShutdowns
The Writ Petition is being argued by Ms. @vrindagrover who is assisted by the, Adv., Prasanna S (AoR), Shoutik Banerjee, Swati Arya & Yuvraj Singh Rathore.
A #Twitter whistleblower’s allegations that the Indian government forced the company to hire at least one individual who was a government agent and had access to user data, should be taken seriously, warn experts in the #technology and #policy sectors.
@MishiChoudhary, founder of @SFLCin says that the more someone knows about a user, the more power they have over them. “Personal data is used to make a variety of decisions in and about our lives: jobs, government benefits, relationships & insurance are just a few of them.”
“Personal data can be used to affect our reputations and shape our behaviour,” says @MishiChoudhary
Accusing #Twitter of playing all sides she says, “By filing a lawsuit in Karnataka, it can appease its users, ‘look here, we are fighting for your rights. ’ ”
Twitter’s former security chief, Peiter
“Mudge” Zatko, recently alleged that the platform misled regulators, and violated security and privacy standards. edition.cnn.com/2022/08/23/tec…
Specifically naming India, the complaint alleges that the Indian Government required “Twitter to hire specific individuals alleged to be spies, who would have had significant access to sensitive data thanks to Twitter’s own lax security controls.”