Internet Democracy Project

We are thrilled to share a video produced by the Data Governance Networked, titled, ​“Data is an extension of our body”, which draws on our research work on bodies and data governance. In data governance policies in India, as elsehwere, data is considered a resource that can be exploited by government and private players alike. But in reality, this data is so much entangled with the body that generates it or that it targets that the line between virtual bodies and physical bodies becomes irrelevant. In other words, our research shows, data is embodied and any harm manifested from this data is as real and tangible as any physical harm.    More

The Internet Democracy Project has provided extensive input in the joint letter written by SFLC to the Central and State Governments to protect individual privacy during COVID-19 Pandemic. The letter highlights excessive and unsupervised collection and usage of personal data of individuals for monitoring and surveillance that can cause irreversible harms to the privacy and bodily integrity of the individuals. The letter was signed by SFLC, the Internet Democracy Project and other non-profit organisations, civil society groups, lawyers, public policy professionals, social activists’ entrepreneurs and concerned citizens to flag the issues of individual privacy in the times of COVID-19 Pandemic. The full text of the letter can be found on the SFLC website as well as below.   More

“Don’t take icecream from a stranger.” Children from many parts of the world hear versions of this. Depending on the context, it can be a message honing trust, a message encouraging suspicion of people who are different from oneself, and so on. Whether or not we agree with these messages, one thing is certain: we have a lot of language that teaches us about trust: how to not trust too much, or too little. What does the equivalent on the Internet look like? We created a new video to help you answer this question.   More

Last year, we released a video explaining networking concepts through Rangoli. We looked at what is the internet, the Internet Protocol and routing through the internet. We are now thrilled to present translated versions of the video in Kannada and Hindi!   More

As currently conceptualised in India, data sovereignty threatens Indians’ individual sovereignty, undermines citizen rights, and is a lost chance to meaningfully grapple with data colonisation, argues Nayantara Ranganathan in this column, originally published in the Hindustan times, on 26 August 2019. The column is the last in a four part series on data governance in India by the Data Governance Network.   More

On 29 March 2019, the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) of the Government of India concluded a public consultation regarding the Draft National E‑Commerce Policy. However, the comments received were not shared publicly by the DPIIT, nor have stakeholders been provided the opportunity to share counter-comments. The Internet Democracy Project has joined a coalition of concerned organisations and individuals in asking DPIIT to ensure greater transparency and participation in the consultation. Please find the full text of the letter below.   More

Listen to episode #15 of Online Gods podcast, on News Images and Surveillance, where Nayantara speaks to Ian M. Cook about the Internet Democracy Project’s work, specifically in regards to our research and workshops on gender and surveillance. About Online Gods: Online Gods is a monthly podcast on digital cultures and their political ramifications, featuring lively conversations with scholars and activists.   More

The Internet Democracy Project has joined a global coalition of civil society and technology experts that sent a joint letter to the Indian Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology on 15 March, asking the Government of India to withdraw the draft amendments proposed to the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines) Rules. The coalition warns that the government’s proposed amendments on intermediary liability will harm digital security and human rights, and calls on the government to withdraw the proposed amendments and start a fresh consultation process. A press release can be found here. The full text of the letter can be found below.   More

At the end of December 2018, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) of the Government of India invited stakeholders to provide their comments and suggestions on the Draft Intermediaries Guidelines (Amendment) Rules, 2018 by 31 January 2019. The Draft Rules seek to amend existing guidelines that lay out the conditions online intermediaries need to fulfil in order to qualify for safe-harbour protection. Unfortunately, many of the proposed amendments pose severe risks for freedom of expression and privacy on the Internet in India. The Internet Democracy Project has joined a coalition of organisations and concerned citizens in India in submitting a joint letter to MeitY that draws attention to these concerns. You can find the full text of the letter below.   More

Alternative Law Forum, the Internet Democracy Project and the Right to Food campaign of Karnataka organised a public meeting on the Aadhaar verdict, which was delivered in September this year. The meeting was intended to be a forum to discuss the 1448 pages long judgment, which deals with the issues …   More