Programme
Internet Governance
Privacy, free speech, surveillance, digital identity and cybersecurity. 3,058 items.
8 Dec 2011
News
Is the govt bid to regulate content on the Internet a good thing?The recent move by Union Minister Kapil Sibal to engage leading Internet platform providers like Google, Facebook, etc in regulating content has seen netizens react in different manners. The question of freedom of expression vis-a-vis …
8 Dec 2011
News
‘Chilling’ Impact of India’s April Internet RulesKapil Sibal’s demand that Internet companies self-censor users’ content is just the latest move by the Indian government to restrict information on Facebook and other social media Web sites. This article by Heather Simmons was published in …
7 Dec 2011
News
Twitter, Facebook take the lead in blogosphere as blog searches fall by halfBlogging is old hat. A prominent trend-tracking tool shows that blog searches around the globe have halved, while micro-blogging platforms Twitter and Facebook have grown, suggesting a seminal shift in online communication.
7 Dec 2011
Blog post
Online Pre-Censorship is Harmful and ImpracticalThe Union Minister for Communications and Information Technology, Mr. Kapil Sibal wants Internet intermediaries to pre-censor content uploaded by their users. Pranesh Prakash takes issue with this and explains why this is a problem, even if …
7 Dec 2011
News
Kapil Sibal to sterilise Net but undercover sting shows 6 of 7 websites already trigger-happy to censor under ‘chilling’ IT ActThe Bangalore-based Centre for Internet and Society (CIS) has carried out an undercover investigation into the "chilling effects" of new information technology laws on freedom of expression online, with six out of seven major websites …
7 Dec 2011
News
Govt wants to scrub the Internet cleanWeb advocacy groups, experts say govt’s move to evolve content guidelines amounts to censorship. This article by Surabhi Agarwal & Leslie D’monte was published in Livemint on 7 December 2011. Sunil Abraham has been quoted in this article.
7 Dec 2011
News
FTN: Should social networking sites be censored?Telecom Minister Kapil Sibal met the representatives of Facebook, Google and others seeking to device a screening mechanism. Sunil Abraham was on CNN-IBN from 10.00 p.m. to 10.30 p.m. speaking about freedom of expression in India.
7 Dec 2011
News
Facebook, Google tell India they won’t screen for derogatory contentIn the world’s largest democracy, the government wants Internet sites like Facebook, YouTube, Twitter and Google to screen and remove offensive content about religious figures and political leaders as soon as they learn about it. But those …
7 Dec 2011
News
Debate: Online content row-1In a debate moderated by TIMES NOW's Editor-in-Chief Arnab Goswami, panelists Chandan Mitra, Editor-in-Chief, 'The Pioneer' & MP, BJP; Sabeer Bhatia, Co-founder, Hotmail; Sunil Abraham, Executive Director, Centre for Internet and Society; …
6 Dec 2011
News
India’s dreams of web censorshipIf you are offended by this post, please contact Kapil Sibal, India’s telecoms and IT minister, and he will make sure it is promptly taken down.
6 Dec 2011
News
‘Any Normal Human Being Would Be Offended’The Indian government has asked social media operators to delete information on the Internet that might offend the ‘‘sensibilities’’ of people in India, Kapil Sibal, India’s minister of communications and information technology, said …
5 Dec 2011
News
Why this ‘kolaveri di' is India's coming of ageIn the last two weeks, two videos have gone viral on the Internet in India. One, the catchy Tanglish-folksy ‘Why this kolaveri di' video, and two, the flash mob at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (CST) in Mumbai where a few hundred …
5 Dec 2011
News
On the net, red herringThey are often the first clue in cyber crimes.But IP addresses may not be totally foolproof, writes Javed Anwer. Sunil Abraham has been quoted in this article published in the Times of India on 4 December 2011.
2 Dec 2011
Event
Dialogue Cafe @ Centre for Internet and SocietyThe Centre for Internet and Society announces the launch of its dialogue cafe, where every month, we approach seminal thinkers, scholars and practitioners to help explore knowledge paradigms that help us understand and research …
2 Dec 2011
Blog post
An Interview with Dr. Ann Cavoukian, Information and Privacy Commissioner, Ontario, CanadaElonnai Hickok interviewed Dr. Ann Cavoukian, Information and Privacy Commissioner, Ontario, Canada. The full interview is reproduced below.
1 Dec 2011
Blog post
What is Dilligaf?On the web, time moves at the speed of thought: Groups emerge, proliferate and are abandoned as new trends and fads take precedence. Nowhere else is this dramatic flux as apparent as in the language that evolves online. While SMS lingo – …
28 Nov 2011
News
Move over Kolaveri di, here comes GowdaTransparency is the buzzword in governance and chief minister DV Sadananda Gowda is eager to set a new benchmark. You could soon watch what the chief minister is doing at office, live on YouTube. This article was published in …
28 Nov 2011
Event
Exposing Data: Art Slash ActivismTactical Tech and the Centre for Internet and Society (CIS) invite you to the first round of discussions on the intersection of Art and Activism at CIS office in Bangalore on 28 November 2011. Ward Smith (Lecturer, University of California, …
24 Nov 2011
News
Is Facebook tracking your virtual footprints?Social media experts claim number of cases of privacy violations against the site has increased in past few months; Facebook rubbishes the allegations. This article by Sheetal Sukhija was published in MidDay on 22 November 2011.
18 Nov 2011
News
SOPA: The bill that could kill the InternetAs the US government’s House Judiciary Committee begins hearings on the proposed Stop Online Piracy Act, (SOPA), both supporters and opponents are ramping up their campaigning, with big names getting involved. And so they should. SOPA’s …
18 Nov 2011
Event
Droidcon India, first Android Conference in BangaloreHasGeek is happy to announce the forthcoming Droidcon India on the 18th and 19th of November 2011 at the MLR Convention Centre in Bangalore. Droidcon.com, Bangalore Android User Group, MobileMonday Bangalore, Medianama, Android Advices and …
17 Nov 2011
Blog post
The 2nd IJLT-CIS Lecture Series — A Post-event ReportThe Indian Journal of Law and Technology (IJLT) and the Centre for Internet and Society (CIS), organised the 2nd IJLT-CIS Lecture Series on the 21st and 22nd of May 2011 at the National Law School of India University, Nagarbhavi, Bangalore. …
17 Nov 2011
News
International human rights community vs SOPAThe Centre for Internet and Society was mentioned in a news story published in BoingBoing. Cory Doctorow wrote the story published on November 17, 2011.
13 Nov 2011
Blog post
CIS Comments on Finance Committee Statements to Open Letters on Unique IdentityWe from the Centre for Internet and Society had sent six open letters to the Parliamentary Finance Committee on the UID. The Committee responded through an email on 12 October 2011. Our response to the points raised is reproduced below.
9 Nov 2011
Blog post
TRAI urged to take action against P2P throttling and DNS hijackingOn 4 November 2010, Anand had sent a complaint letter to the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) regarding unethical practices adopted by Internet Service Providers (ISPs), particularly Airtel. The letter was sent by post and …
9 Nov 2011
Blog post
Sources of CIS FundingCIS's donors' names and the amount of the grants they've provided are being published in an effort to be absolutely transparent and to make it clear that our donors do not dictate the policy and research positions we espouse.
9 Nov 2011
Blog post
Comments on the National Policy of Information TechnologyThe NPIT 2011 has the laudable goal of making India a ‘knowledge economy with a global role’ by developing and deploying ICT solutions in all sectors to foster development within India and at a global level. The policy identifies several …
8 Nov 2011
News
Netizen Report: Transparency EditionGlobal Voices Online has carried a feature story, "Netizen Report: Transparency Edition". We at CIS had filed an RTI application about website blocking. This is reflected in this article by Rebecca MacKinnon which was posted online on 7 …
4 Nov 2011
Blog post
Once Upon A FlashIt was a dark and stormy evening. A young man in a dark blue Adidas jacket, collar turned up, eyes under green-black shades, hopped off a motorbike, tucked his thumbs into the front pockets of his low-slung retro jeans and surreptitiously …
3 Nov 2011
News
Learn It YourselfThe peer-to-peer world of online learning encourages conversations and reciprocal learning, writes Nishant Shah in an article published in the Indian Express on 30 October 2011.