Blogposts

Journalistic bodies oppose communication and movement restrictions in Kashmir before the Supreme Court

In today's hearing, Mr. Huzefa Ahmadi and Mr. Dushyant Dave advanced arguments on behalf of the Indian Journalists Union and Foundation for Media Professionals respectively.

20 November, 2019

5 min read

Devdutta Mukhopadhyay

Privacy

IFF submits comments to the Standing Committee on Science & Tech highlighting worries with the DNA Bill, 2019.

The DNA Bill has been re-introduced in the Lok Sabha and also referred to the Standing Committee on Science and Technology which has invited comments. We had a lot of comments.

19 November, 2019

3 min read

Joanne DCunha

Filings

Delhi HC directs Subodh Gupta to respond to impleadment application filed by Indian Journalists Union and allows Scene and Herd to contest anonymously (for now)

The Delhi HC has issued notice in the impleadment application filed by the Indian Journalists Union in Subodh Gupta's defamation suit and directed the Plaintiff to respond to concerns about overbroad censorship of news reports which adhere to professional journalistic standards of reporting.

18 November, 2019

4 min read

Devdutta Mukhopadhyay

Surveillance

We provide the Standing Committees on Home Affairs with suggestions as they discuss the Pegasus scandal.

Press reports indicate interest has been showed by the Standing Committee on Home Affairs in examining the matter. We wrote to them with a few suggestions on the issue to take into consideration at their meeting today.

15 November, 2019

2 min read

Joanne DCunha

Privacy

While Delhi has its pollution mask on, the rest of India might need one too. For different reasons of course...

In light of the continuing growing concerns of CCTVs and facial recognition technology in the recent weeks, we throw a few more kicks to fight against this trajectory of mass surveillance.

11 November, 2019

3 min read

Joanne DCunha

Privacy

NCRB finally responds to legal notice on facial recognition, we promptly send a rejoinder...

The NCRB promptly responds as we followed up on our legal notice and IFF replies having to restate original asks.

08 November, 2019

3 min read

Joanne DCunha

internet shutdowns

Substantive hearing in Anuradha Bhasin v. Union of India commences

In today’s hearing, Ms. Vrinda Grover used the govt’s statistics to prove there is no relation between the internet and rise in terrorism and argued there was no application of mind by the govt.

05 November, 2019

2 min read

Devdutta Mukhopadhyay

internet shutdowns

Bihar’s internet shutdown orders reveal vague but relatively narrow suspension of mass messaging platforms

Internet shutdown orders issued by the Bihar Government reveal blocking of specific mass messaging platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp etc. rather than suspension of internet services in their entirety.

01 November, 2019

3 min read

Devdutta Mukhopadhyay

Breaches

Statement: Scary disclosures on use of NSO spyware in India signal a need for urgent reform

News reports have revealed the targeting of lawyers, journalists and activists in India through NSO's illegal spyware, Pegasus. While these revelations have left many of us shaken, we must demand transparency from the govt and push for surveillance reform in parliament and courts.

31 October, 2019

2 min read

Devdutta Mukhopadhyay

Filings

A cellphone signal at the end of the tunnel? SC may finally hear substantive challenges to telecommunications shutdown in Kashmir around November

In Kashmir Communication Shutdown and Press Freedom Case, the Govt has argued that the restrictions are necessary because of terrorism and declined to provide any specific information to the Petitioner.

24 October, 2019

3 min read

Devdutta Mukhopadhyay

Blogposts

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