Catergory

Policy

2022

2022 Year in Review: Policy advocacy is the long game

The policy team at IFF participated in 13 consultations with Union and State governmental bodies as well as non-governmental bodies, sent 103 letters and tracked 126 Facial Recognition Technology (“FRT”) systems.
21 December, 2022
11 min read
Tejasi PanjiarTejasi Panjiar
Consultations

The Change Game: MeitY Resorts To Quick Fixes To Silence Experts

IFF writes to MeitY on the multiple changes made to the Draft India Data Accessibility & Use Policy, 2022 without any public acknowledgement. IFF calls for a fresh start to the consultation process.
26 March, 2022
7 min read
Shivangani MisraShivangani Misra
accesstointernet
Featured

The National Digital Education Architecture: An explainer

In our latest explainer, we look at the National Digital Education Architecture, detailing what this policy entails and exploring its legislative and policy origins. We also explore issues of a lack of internet access, low digital literacy, and an inadequate consent framework.
01 December, 2021
7 min read
Rohin GargRohin Garg & Simrandeep SinghSimrandeep Singh
Consultations
Featured

IFF submits its comments on the Draft Approach Paper for creating a Digital Address Code

We have provided our comments on the Draft Approach Paper for creating a Digital Address Code, highlighting governance issues around geospatial data, data protection issues around the use of geospatial data, and potential surveillance and function creep challenges which will arise from DAC.
12 November, 2021
7 min read
Rohin GargRohin Garg & Gyan TripathiGyan Tripathi
Privacy
Featured

Explained: RBI's Account Aggregator Framework

The RBI’s Account Aggregator framework went live on 2nd September this year. The government has claimed that the framework will have a transformative impact on the financial ecosystem. In this explainer, we take a look at what this framework really is and highlight certain issues that may arise.
28 October, 2021
4 min read
Rohin GargRohin Garg
MeitY
Featured

A digital rights agenda after a refresh: IFF writes to the new ministers

This week, the Union cabinet saw a major reshuffle. This included new ministers for MEITY, MOC, and MIB. We wrote to the new ministers, welcoming them to their new role and highlighting key areas that need to be addressed.
10 July, 2021
7 min read
Rohin GargRohin Garg
Access to Information
Featured

Digital Transparency: A Right to Information Report for June, 2021

Since our last report for the month of May, IFF has filed 18 RTI requests, 2 First Appeals and 1 Second Appeal. Here, we give you an overview of the requests filed and why demanding transparency and accountability from Government authorities essential in our fight to protect digital rights.
08 July, 2021
5 min read
YashaswiniYashaswini
AgriStack
Featured

A Thoroughly Bad IDEA: Our comments on the Agristack Consultation Paper

IFF has submitted its comments on the IDEA consultation paper. We suggest that all implementation be halted till farmers have been consulted. We have also addressed issues of data localisation, federalism, data protection, user rights, the need for public investment, and inadequate data standards.
06 July, 2021
8 min read
Rohin GargRohin Garg
AgriStack
Featured

MoUs for Nothing and Data for Free: 4 new MoUs signed between the Ministry of Agriculture and private companies, including Amazon and Patanjali

The Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare has recently signed 4 more MoUs regarding the Agristack with Patanjali Organic Research Institute, ESRI India Technologies, Amazon Web Services, and Star Agribazaar. Here, we analyse these MoUs, and explain what they mean for Indian agriculture.
29 June, 2021
8 min read
Rohin GargRohin Garg & Tanmay SinghTanmay Singh
AgriStack

Revealed: Ministry of Agriculture’s MOU with Microsoft on the Agristack. Urgent need for transparency and consultation!

In response to an RTI query by us, the Ministry of Agriculture provided us with a MoU between the Department of Agriculture and Microsoft, and a document titled “Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for verifying Farmer’s Database (100 Villages)”.
20 May, 2021
8 min read
Rohin GargRohin Garg & Tanmay SinghTanmay Singh

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