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Demystifying Data Breaches in India
Despite the rate at which data breaches occur and are reported in the media, there seems to be little information about how and when they are resolved. This post examines the discourse on data breaches in India with respect to their historical forms, with a focus on how the specific terminology to describe data security incidents has evolved in mainstream news media reportage.
Digitisation of O Bharat, a bilingual biweekly published in Goa from 1912 to 1949
The digitization project of O Bharat, a historic biweekly published between 1912 to 1949 in Goa was completed through collaboration of different organizations. The trustees of Bharatkar Hegde Desai Trust initiated the project in collaboration with Marathi department of Goa University, Bhakti Dnyan Marg Sanstha and Goa Central Library. The Centre for Internet and Society's Access to Knowledge Programme facilitated the project with technical and financial assistance. Two local students scanned 12000 pages in 8 days. The year wise volumes of O Bharat are now freely available on Wikimedia Commons in the form of archive.
Digitisation of O Bharat, a bilingual biweekly published in Goa from 1912 to 1949
It all started like this. During the Wikimedia session at Goa University in October 2021, it was realised that there is very little documentation about the ‘Goa Liberation Struggle’ on Wikimedia projects. So, in the meeting Prof. Vinay Madgaonkar from the Marathi language department took the lead to develop a project around this theme.
Getting the (Digital) Indo-Pacific Economic Framework Right
On the eve of the Tokyo Quad Summit in May 2022, President Biden unveiled the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF), visualising cooperation across the Indo-Pacific based on four pillars: trade; supply chains; clean energy, decarbonisation and infrastructure; and tax and anti-corruption. Galvanised by the US, the other 13 founding members of the IPEF are Australia, Brunei Darussalam, India, Indonesia, Japan, Republic of Korea, Malaysia, New Zealand, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. The first official in-person Ministerial meeting was held in Los Angeles on 9 September 2022.
NHA Data Sharing Guidelines – Yet Another Policy in the Absence of a Data Protection Act
In July this year, the National Health Authority (NHA) released the NHA Data Sharing Guidelines for the Pradhan Mantri Jan Aarogya Yojana (PM-JAY) just two months after publishing the draft Health Data Management Policy.
Designing Domestic Work Platforms
This research was conducted by The Center for Internet and Society (CIS) with funding from Association for Progressive Communication (APC) through the Feminist Internet Research Network (FIRN), supported by International Development Research Centre (IDRC). The authors are deeply grateful to the platform workers who talked to us and shared their experiences of finding work through Urban Company. Their responses shaped our research and their insights guided the creation of this final report.
Surveillance Enabling Identity Systems in Africa: Tracing the Fingerprints of Aadhaar
Biometric identity systems are being introduced around the world with a focus on promoting human development and social and economic inclusion, rather than previous goals of security. As a result, these systems being encouraged in developing countries, particularly in Africa and Asia, sometimes with disastrous consequences.
Procurement Through Digital Platforms
Procurement policies, both public and private, can play a significant role in determining inclusive market participation, particularly for informal women workers and their collective enterprises.
Deployment of Digital Health Policies and Technologies: During Covid-19
In the last twenty years or so, the Indian government has adopted several digital mechanisms to deliver services to its citizens.
What Are The Consumer Protection Concerns With Crypto-Assets?
Existing consumer protection regulations are not sufficient to cover the extent of protection that a crypto-investor would require.
Datafication of the Public Distribution System in India
In this study, we look into the datafication of social protection schemes with a special focus on the Public Distribution System in India. Proponents of datafication claim that the benefits will reach the right person and curb leakages through the automation and digitisation of all PDS processes. Aadhaar is the most important link in the datafication; supporters claim that it makes technology people-centric. This study looks at the status of PDS datafication and its impact on the delivery of the scheme in Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand. We also try to understand to what extent the stated objective of portability has been met and how far the challenges faced by the rights holders of the PDS have been resolved.
Comments to the draft amendments to the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021
The Centre for Internet & Society (CIS) presented its comments on the draft amendments to the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021 (‘the rules’), which were released on 6 June, 2022 for public comments.
Central Bank Digital Currencies: A solution to India’s financial woes or just a piece of the puzzle?
Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs) have, over the last couple of years, stepped firmly into the global financial spotlight. India is no exception to this trend, with both the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and the Finance Minister referring to an Indian CBDC that is currently under development.
With the introduction of this CBDC a matter of when and not if, India and many other countries stand on the precipice of re-imagining their financial systems. It is therefore imperative that any attempt at introducing a CBDC is preceded by a detailed analysis of its scope, benefits, limitations, and how it has been implemented in other jurisdictions. This policy brief looks to achieve that by examining the form that a CBDC could take, what its policy goals would be in India, the considerations the RBI would have to account for and whether a CBDC would work in present-day India. Finally, it also looks at the case of Nigeria to draw insights that could also be applied to the introduction and operationalisation of a CBDC in the Indian context.
The full issue brief can be accessed here.
The Government’s Increased Focus on Regulating Non-Personal Data: A Look at the Draft National Data Governance Framework Policy
Digvijay Chaudhary and Anamika Kundu wrote an article on the National Data Governance Framework Policy. It was edited by Shweta Mohandas.
Working paper on Non-Financial Use Cases of Blockchain Technology
Ever since its initial conceptualisation in 2009, blockchain technology has been synonymous with financial products and services - most notably crypto-assets like Bitcoin. However, while often associated with the financial sector, blockchain technology represents an opportunity for multiple industries to reinvent and improve their legacy processes. In India, the 2020 discussion Paper on Blockchain Technology by the Niti Aayog as well as the National Blockchain Strategy of 2021 by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology have attempted to articulate this opportunity. These documents examine the potential benefits that would arise from blockchain’s introduction across multiple non financial sectors.
This working paper looks to examine three specific use cases mentioned in the above mentioned government documents: Land record management, certification verification and pharmaceutical supply chain management. We look to provide an overview of what blockchain technology is and document the ongoing attempts to integrate blockchain technology into the aforementioned fields. We also assess the possible costs and benefits associated with blockchain’s introduction and look to draw insights from instances of such integration in other jurisdictions.
The full working paper can be found here.
Making Voices Heard
We are happy to announce the launch of our final report on the study ‘Making Voices Heard: Privacy, Inclusivity, and Accessibility of Voice Interfaces in India. The study was undertaken with support from the Mozilla Corporation.
CIS Issue Brief on regulating Crypto-asset advertising in India
Over the past decade, crypto-assets have established themselves within the digital global zeitgeist. Crypto-asset (alternatively referred to as cryptocurrency) trading and investments continue to skyrocket, with centralised crypto exchanges seeing upwards of USD 14 trillion (or around INR 1086 trillion) in trading volume.
One of the key elements behind this exponential growth and embedding of crypto-assets into the global cultural consciousness has been the marketing and advertising efforts of crypto-asset providers and crypto-asset-related service providers.In India alone, crypto-exchange advertisements have permeated into all forms of media and seem to be increasing as the market continues to mature. At the same time, however, financial regulators such as the RBI have consistently pointed out concerns associated with crypto-assets, even going so far as to warn consumers and investors of the dangers that may arise from investing in crypto-assets through a multitude of circulars.
In light of this, we analyse the regulations governing crypto-assets in India by examining the potential and actual limitations posed by them. We then compare them with the regulations governing the advertising of another financial instrument, mutual funds. Finally, we perform a comparative analysis of crypto-asset advertising regulations in four jurisdictions - The EU, Singapore, Spain and the United Kingdom- and identify clear and actionable recommendations that policymakers can implement to ensure the safety and fairness of crypto-asset advertising in India.
The full issue brief can be accessed Here
Comments to the Draft National Health Data Management Policy 2.0
Anamika Kundu, Shweta Mohandas and Pallavi Bedi along with 9 other organizations / individuals drafted comments to the Draft National Health Data Management Policy 2.0.
Internet Researchers' Conference 2022 (IRC22): #Home, May 25-27
We are excited to announce that the fifth edition of the Internet Researchers' Conference will be held online on May 25-27, 2022.This annual conference series was initiated by the researchers@work (r@w) programme at CIS in 2016 to gather researchers and practitioners engaging with the internet in/from India to congregate, share insights and tensions, and chart the ways forward. This year, the conference brings together a set of reflections and conversations on how we imagine and experience the home —as a space of refuge and comfort, but also as one of violence, care, labour and movement-building.
WIPO SCCR 42: Statement by CIS on the Limitations and Exceptions Agenda Item
Anubha Sinha delivered a statement on behalf of CIS, on day 3 of the 42nd WIPO SCCR session on the Limitations and Exceptions Agenda Item.
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