Catergory

Surveillance

interception

A Draft to Surveil: IFF’s Analysis of the Draft Telecom Interception Rules, 2024

This post includes our in-depth analysis of the draft Telecom Interception Rules, 2024 and broadly India's surveillance architecture, along with a table comparing the 2024 draft Rules with the corresponding provisions under the Indian Telegraph Rules, 1951.
12 September, 2024
12 min read
Tejasi PanjiarTejasi Panjiar & Gayatri MalhotraGayatri Malhotra
cybersecurity

Strike three: Telangana Police network’s slew of data breaches spell trouble for personal citizen data

The Telangana police network was hit by three data breaches within one week, which not only exposed sensitive personal data of Telangana residents, but also prompted investigation into the police’s alarming potential data collection practices such as tapping into hotel visitor logs.
12 June, 2024
9 min read
Disha VermaDisha Verma
DigiYatra

Dear Digi Yatris, it’s time to deboard

Amid suspicions about its tech operator’s criminal records and vast allegations of data privacy violations, the Digi Yatra Foundation has announced a revamp of the service and is urging its users to abandon the old app and re-install a new version. We shed light on this shady ‘makeover’.
22 April, 2024
7 min read
Disha VermaDisha Verma
Surveillance

We will not be tracked! Indian Railways’ plans to introduce FRT surveillance in train coaches is a big departure from the right to privacy

Indian Railways has floated a tender for the installation of 3.3 lakh FRT-enabled CCTV cameras in train coaches which will be used alongside face-matching servers to surveil and identify passengers and ‘curb crime’. We write to authorities pushing back against this massive privacy violation.
12 March, 2024
10 min read
Disha VermaDisha Verma
Surveillance

Statement: Haryana Police Seeks to Cancel Passports and Visas of Farmers Identified Through Drone & CCTV cams to be “causing disturbances” during #FarmersProtest

We are deeply perturbed by this decision and the police’s unchecked use of surveillance technologies to crack down on dissent and free speech.
29 February, 2024
1 min read
Internet Freedom FoundationInternet Freedom Foundation
drones

Haryana police’s use of drones against protesting farmers is a disproportionate and unconstitutional response

Haryana police is deploying drones to drop tear gas shells and potentially surveil farmers protesting near the Shambhu border as part of their Delhi Chalo march. We write to state authorities contending that such use of technology is disproportionate and unconstitutional, and must cease immediately.
24 February, 2024
5 min read
Disha VermaDisha Verma
elections

NIC withdraws polling station surveillance tender: A small win for voter rights #VoterPrivacyWatch

Following IFF's letter to the ECI raising concerns over NIC's tender for deploying drones and facial recognition technologies at polling stations in the 2024 elections, ECI directed NIC to withdraw the tender, noting risks to voter privacy.
22 January, 2024
3 min read
Disha VermaDisha Verma
elections

Why NIC’s proposed polling station surveillance during the 2024 elections is a terrible idea

It’s election year, and NIC is already planning on deploying FRT and drones at polling stations to surveil voters and “maintain law and order”. We write to NIC and ECI outlining why this is undemocratic, unconstitutional, and overall a terrible idea.
18 January, 2024
4 min read
Disha VermaDisha Verma
DigiYatra

Resist Surveillance Tech, Reject Digi Yatra

Digi Yatra continues to raise privacy, surveillance, exclusion and transparency concerns, made worse by the highly disturbing manner in which it is currently being deployed at airports – with coercion and deception, at the cost of passengers’ dignity, privacy, and autonomy.
16 January, 2024
12 min read
Disha VermaDisha Verma
Telecom

First Read: The Telecom Bill, 2023 is on Santa's evil list

The Telecom Bill, 2023, much like the 2022 one, continues to hang on to the colonial provisions of its 1885 predecessor it purportedly aims to overhaul. It misses a huge opportunity to reform the telecom sector and create a rights-centric law that protects user rights instead of infringing on it.
20 December, 2023
11 min read
Tejasi PanjiarTejasi Panjiar & Prateek WaghrePrateek Waghre

Donate to IFF

Help IFF scale up by making a donation for digital rights. Really, when it comes to free speech online, digital privacy, net neutrality and innovation — we got your back!