Internet Freedom Foundation (IFF)

Big thanks to the best @captnemo.in for hosting a match donation for us on his birthday! With your help, we raised around Rs. 3.06 lakhs yesterday! We appreciate your consistent love & support for IFF & its commitment to stand up for digital liberties in India. Thanks, Nemo 💞💞

My brown and white tabby cat popping out of the hole in a cat tree with the IFF logo superimposed at the bottom.

👋 It's my birthday today.

I'm not a birthday person, but this year I'm doing a fundraiser for @internetfreedom.bsky.social 🎉.

I'll be matching donations made to IFF today so you can double your impact:

internetfreedom.in/double-your-...

(Please boost)

A bill effectively codifying a government #surveillance regime could become law in #India. As @internetfreedom.bsky.social explains, its broad language affects all types of online communication, including those that are end-to-end encrypted.
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Can't make it to the call?

Bookmark the Youtube Livestream link to catch the briefing call later at your own pace!

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Starting in 30!

The Telecom Bill, 2023 was passed in the Rajya Sabha today with meagre deliberation. It is simply a repackaging of colonial-era powers. Join us at 5 PM IST to learn about the scope & implications of this bill. 1/n

Register now 🔗🔗
us06web.zoom.us/meeting/regi...

Donate to Internet Freedom Foundation We fight for the digital rights of every Indian, but we can’t do it alone—donate today.

With the release of the Broadcasting Bill, 2023, now the draft Telecom Bill, 2023 and the rumoured upcoming DPDPA Rules, the fight for our digital rights is at a critical juncture. 5/5

We need YOUR support now more than ever.
internetfreedom.in/donate

While we wait for the fresh draft to be released in the public domain, check out our public brief on the draft Telecom Bill, 2022.  4/5

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The draft Indian Telecom Bill, 2022 received backlash from several sets of stakeholders during the public consultation last year. Although the Ministry reportedly conducted several inter-ministerial discussions on several issues, glaring privacy concerns remain. 3/5 www.livemint.com/industry/tel...

Such last minute introductions & changes create hindrances in a meaningful, healthy, & detailed interaction between parliamentarians. This defeats the purpose of a list of business, which is set well in advance. We oppose the dilution of core parliamentary ethics & democratic values. 2/5

UPDATE: In the midst of protests, Ashwini Vaishnaw introduced the Telecom Bill, 2023. The session has been adjourned till 2 PM. The Bill was listed in yesterday’s (Dec 17) Bulletin for introduction on the President’s recommendation under Article 117(1). 1/5 
drive.google.com/file/d/1goVY...

Ask MIB to kill the bill and #LetUsChill Hey! There’s yet another bill in town, targeting your favourite Netflix shows, YouTubers, and online news channels. It’s about to clamp down on our right to free expression —censoring everything...

📣If you don’t want the government to censor the content we consume, write to @MIB_India using our template response, asking it to - Kill the bill & #LetUsChill. 9/9

letuschill.in

➡️So you can’t handle the truth, huh? Risks around censorship of satire, irony, dissent, and hard-hitting truth may become reality. We urge MIB to withdraw the Broadcasting Bill & steer away from dictating modifications & deletions. 8/9

➡️I think we’ve seen this film before… and we didn’t like the ending. The Union govt's powers on future rulemaking create a skewed power dynamic. We urge MIB to refrain from overbroad provisions that may lead to unbridled censorship. 7/9

➡️The Broadcasting Bill imposes strict rules on “OTT” platforms, leading to disproportionate content censorship, more financial burdens, less user choice, & potentially stifling innovation. 6/9

➡️As if “OTT” content regulation was not enough, the Bill also extends regulatory control to any person broadcasting news through a digital medium. This threatens democratic principles of online free speech, impacting both media companies & individuals. 5/9

➡️The Bill is laden with ambiguous definitions, vague terms, & excessive rule-making powers. There may be misuse through subjective & selective application of the provisions.  We urge MIB to address the uncertainties. 4/9

We urge MIB to withdraw this draconian bill. Why?👇
➡️The consultation, which is currently only in English, lacks inclusivity. We push for multilingual publication of the bill for a meaningful consultation process that is more accessible. 3/9

The Broadcasting Bill was published on Nov 10, 2023, & public comments were initially invited till Dec 9.

However, following representations from various stakeholders, MIB has extended this deadline to January 15, 2024. 2/9

mib.gov.in/sites/defaul...

Dear MIB, kill the bill and #LetUsChill: Our comments on the Broadcasting Bill, 2023 The Broadcasting Bill, 2023 may soon allow the government to censor streaming shows and news analysis by journalists. Join the campaign #LetUsChill and write to MIB using our template response in just...

The recent Broadcasting Bill, 2023 may soon grant the govt powers to censor streaming shows & news analysis by journalists. ⚠️We are not fans. 

It's a threat to online free speech & artistic freedoms. Flagging these, we’ve sent detailed comments to MIB.

Read ⬇️1/9
internetfreedom.in/comments-on-...

For a quick reading list!

1. internetfreedom.in/broadcast-se...

2. www.thehindu.com/opinion/lead...

3. indianexpress.com/article/opin...

4. theprint.in/opinion/indi...

Did you hear? Another tool of executive control is in town
That’s MIB's Broadcasting Bill, 2023.

Join us today at 5 PM to know the implications of government censures in the realm of OTT broadcasting services.
Register 🔗 ½

us06web.zoom.us/meeting/regi...

The recent disclosures by MPs raises alarm & highlights the urgent need for surveillance reform. We urge the Indian Govt to reject the use of surveillance tech. There needs to be an impartial investigation to determine the source & extent of the potential attack. 6/6

Pegasus Report to remain in sealed cover despite containing evidence that 5 phones had malware The SC-appointed committee on use of Pegasus has concluded that malware was found in 5 out of 29 phones submitted to it, but the use of Pegasus could not be confirmed. Furthermore, the Report is to re...

The Committee report, shared with the SC in a sealed envelope, is yet to be available publicly. In light of these rising instances of such unethical & unlawful surveillance, the report must be made public, in the interest of transparency. 5/n 

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In 2021, the alleged use of the Pegasus spyware by the Union government to surveil over 300 verified Indians, including ministers, opposition leaders, & journalists, was investigated by the committee of experts constituted by the Supreme Court (SC). 4/n

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Apple has reportedly stated that it does not attribute the threat notifications to any specific state-sponsored attacker & shared its inability to provide reasoning behind sending threat notifications, citing potential risk of such attackers evading detection in the future. 3/n
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The potential use of such illegal and unlawful surveillance tools on political figures is antithetical to the democratic ideals of our country. Such reports suggesting government surveillance in the lead up to the general and several state elections is a further cause of concern. 2/n

Short Statement: Several MPs, including Priyanka Chaturvedi, Mahua Moitra, Shashi Tharoor, Supriya Shrinate, Sitaram Yechury, Pawan Khera, Raghav Chadha, Asaduddin Owaisi are potentially being targeted by state-sponsored attackers, as per an Apple threat notification received by them. 1/n

Power to the People! #GED2023

Join us today at The Encryption Summit, as we celebrate our right to privacy and fight back to ensure everyone, everywhere has access to encryption.

E2EE is like the superhero of online security, and on Global Encryption Day, let's unite to defend it. No to government shortcuts that weaken our digital fortress. Let's keep our digital liberties shielded. 4/4

Register now:
events.zoom.us/ev/ApH8z4TMC...

Every year on October 21st, Global Encryption Day is celebrated, bringing people together around the world to champion strong encryption & to deliver the message to governments that weakening encryption puts people at risk. 3/4