India’s laws and controls over its massive collection, storage and use of biometric data are hugely deficient, writes Ram Mashru

India’s laws and controls over its massive collection, storage and use of biometric data are hugely deficient, writes Ram Mashru
The new CEO of India’s censor board has described his objection to some of India’s recent blockbusters based on the reactions of his wife and five year old daughter. Mahima Kaul reports
It is almost impossible to believe, but the government of India’s largest and most populous state, Uttar Pradesh, seems to have taken the most popular English news channel, Times Now, off the air for criticizing it, Mahima Kaul reports
As India’s election approaches, politicians have been taking to social media to connect with voters, Mahima Kaul reports
By reinstating a law banning gay sex, the Indian state is entering citizens’ bedrooms and infringing on their integrity and bodily autonomy, writes Sayan Bhattacharya
The rules India makes for its online users are highly significant – for not only will they apply to 1 in 6 people on earth in the near future as more Indians go online, but as the country emerges as a global power they will shape future debates over freedom of expression online.
This paper has shown that despite its lively democracy, strong tradition of press freedom and political debates, India is in many ways struggling to find the right balance between freedom of expression online and other concerns such as security.
International summits and fora over the next two years will be critical in determining the internet’s future.
Key concerns in assessing online freedom of expression in India are the barriers to accessing the internet itself.
Recent revelations in the Hindu have raised concerns over the extraordinary extent of domestic surveillance online, without any legal and procedural framework to protect privacy.