[September 30-October 7] CCG’s Week in Review Curated News in Information Law and Policy

Posted on October 7, 2019 by Gunjan Chawla

Huawei finds support from Indian telcos in the 5G rollout as PayPal withdrew from Facebook’s Libra cryptocurrency project; Foreign Portfolio Investors moved MeitY against in the Data Protection Bill; the CJEU rules against Facebook in case relating to takedown of content globally; and Karnataka joins list of states considering implementing NRC to remove illegal immigrants – presenting this week’s most important developments in law, tech and national security.

Digital India

[Sep 30] Why the imminent global economic slowdown is a growth opportunity for Indian IT services firms, Tech Circle report.
[Sep 30] Norms tightened for IT items procurement for schools, The Hindu report.
[Oct 1] Govt runs full throttle towards AI, but tech giants want to upskill bureaucrats first, Analytics India Magazine report.
[Oct 3] – presenting this week’s most important developments in law, tech and national security. MeitY launches smart-board for effective monitoring of the key programmes, The Economic Times report.
[Oct 3] “Use human not artificial intelligence…” to keep a tab on illegal constructions: Court to Mumbai civic body, NDTV report.
[Oct 3] India took 3 big productivity leaps: Nilekani, Livemint report.
[Oct 4] MeitY to push for more sops to lure electronic makers, The Economic Times report; Inc42 report.
[Oct 4] Core philosophy of Digital India embedded in Gandhian values: Ravi Shankar Prasad, Financial Express report.
[Oct 4] How can India leverage its data footprint? Experts weigh in at the India Economic Summit, Quartz report.
[Oct 4] Indians think jobs would be easy to find despite automation: WEF, Tech Circle report.
[Oct 4] Telangana govt adopts new framework to use drones for last-mile delivery, The Economic Times report.
[Oct 5] Want to see ‘Assembled in India’ on an iPhone: Ravi Shankar Prasad, The Economic Times report.
[Oct 6] Home market gets attractive for India’s IT giants, The Economic Times report.

Internet Governance

[Oct 2] India Govt requests maximum social media content takedowns in the world, Inc42 report; Tech Circle report.
[Oct 3] Facebook can be forced to delete defamatory content worldwide, top EU court rules, Politico EU report.
[Oct 4] EU ruling may spell trouble for Facebook in India, The Economic Times report.
[Oct 4] TikTok, TikTok… the clock is ticking on the question whether ByteDance pays its content creators, ET Tech report.
[Oct 6] Why data localization triggers a heated debate, The Economic Times report.
[Oct 7] Sensitive Indian govt data must be stored locally, Outlook report.

Data Protection and Privacy

[Sep 30] FPIs move MeitY against data bill, seek exemption, ET markets report, Inc42 report; Financial Express report.
[Oct 1] United States: CCPA exception approved by California legislature, Mondaq.com report.
[Oct 1] Privacy is gone, what we need is regulation, says Infosys Kris Gopalakrishnana, News18 report.
[Oct 1] Europe’s top court says active consent is needed for tracking cookies, Tech Crunch report.
[Oct 3] Turkey fines Facebook $282,000 over data privacy breach, Deccan Herald report.

Free Speech

[Oct 1] Singapore’s ‘fake news’ law to come into force Wednesday, but rights group worry it could stifle free speech, The Japan Times report.
[Oct 2] Minister says Singapore’s fake news law is about ‘enabling’ free speech, CNBC report.
[Oct 3] Hong Kong protests: Authorities to announce face mask ban, BBC News report.
[Oct 3] ECHR: Holocaust denial is not protected free speech, ASIL brief.
[Oct 4] FIR against Mani Ratnam, Adoor and 47 others who wrote to Modi on communal violence, The News Minute report; Times Now report.
[Oct 5] UN asks Malaysia to repeal laws curbing freedom of speech, The New Indian Express report.
[Oct 6] When will our varsities get freedom of expression: PC, Deccan Herald report.
[Oct 6] UK Government to make university students sign contracts limiting speech and behavior, The Times report.
[Oct 7] FIR on Adoor and others condemned, The Telegraph report.

Aadhaar, Digital IDs

[Sep 30] Plea in SC seeking linking of social media accounts with Aadhaar to check fake news, The Economic Times report.
[Oct 1] Why another omnibus national ID card?, The Hindu Business Line report.
[Oct 2] ‘Kenyan court process better than SC’s approach to Aadhaar challenge’: V Anand, who testified against biometric project, LiveLaw report.
[Oct 3] Why Aadhaar is a stumbling block in Modi govt’s flagship maternity scheme, The Print report.
[Oct 4] Parliament panel to review Aadhaar authority functioning, data security, NDTV report.
[Oct 5] Could Aahdaar linking stop GST frauds?, Financial Express report.
[Oct 6] Call for liquor sale-Aadhaar linking, The New Indian Express report.

Digital Payments, Fintech

[Oct 7] Vision cash-lite: A billion UPI transactions is not enough, Financial Express report.

Cryptocurrencies

[Oct 1] US SEC fines crypto company Block.one for unregistered ICO, Medianama report.
[Oct 1] South Korean Court issues landmark decision on crypto exchange hacking, Coin Desk report.
[Oct 2] The world’s most used cryptocurrency isn’t bitcoin, ET Markets report.
[Oct 2] Offline transactions: the final frontier for global crypto adoption, Coin Telegraph report.
[Oct 3] Betting on bitcoin prices may soon be deemed illegal gambling, The Economist report.
[Oct 3] Japan’s financial regulator issues draft guidelines for funds investing in crypto, Coin Desk report.
[Oct 3] Hackers launch widespread botnet attack on crypto wallets using cheap Russian malware, Coin Desk report.
[Oct 4] State-backed crypto exchange in Venezuela launches new crypto debit cards, Decrypt report.
[Oct 4] PayPal withdraws from Facebook-led Libra crypto project, Coin Desk report.
[Oct 5] Russia regulates digital rights, advances other crypto-related bills, Bitcoin.com report.
[Oct 5] Hong Kong regulates crypto funds, Decrypt report.

Cybersecurity and Cybercrime

[Sep 30] Legit-looking iPhone lightening cables that hack you will be mass produced and sold, Vice report.
[Sep 30] Blackberry launches new cybersecurity development labs, Infosecurity Mgazine report.
[Oct 1] Cybersecurity experts warn that these 7 emerging technologies will make it easier for hackers to do their jobs, Business Insider report.
[Oct 1] US government confirms new aircraft cybersecurity move amid terrorism fears, Forbes report.
[Oct 2] ASEAN unites to fight back on cyber crime, GovInsider report; Asia One report.
[Oct 2] Adopting AI: the new cybersecurity playbook, TechRadar Pro report.
[Oct 4] US-UK Data Access Agreement, signed on Oct 3, is an executive agreement under the CLOUD Act, Medianama report.
[Oct 4] The lack of cybersecurity talent is ‘a national security threat,’ says DHS official, Tech Crunch report.
[Oct 4] Millions of Android phones are vulnerable to Israeli surveillance dealer attack, Forbes report; NDTV report.
[Oct 4] IoT devices, cloud solutions soft target for cybercriminals: Symantec, Tech Circle report.
[Oct 6] 7 cybersecurity threats that can sneak up on you, Wired report.
[Oct 6] No one could prevent another ‘WannaCry-style’ attack, says DHS official, Tech Crunch report.
[Oct 7] Indian firms rely more on automation for cybersecurity: Report, ET Tech report.

Cyberwarfare

[Oct 2] New ASEAN committee to implement norms for countries behaviour in cyberspace, CNA report.

Tech and National Security

[Sep 30] IAF ready for Balakot-type strike, says new chief Bhadauria, The Hindu report; Times of India report.
[Sep 30] Naval variant of LCA Tejas achieves another milestone during its test flight, Livemint report.
[Sep 30] SAAB wants to offer Gripen at half of Rafale cost, full tech transfer, The Print report.
[Sep 30] Rajnath harps on ‘second strike capability’, The Shillong Times report.
[Oct 1] EAM Jaishankar defends India’s S-400 missile system purchase from Russia as US sanctions threat, International Business Times report.
[Oct 1] SC for balance between liberty, national security, Hindustan Times report.
[Oct 2] Startups have it easy for defence deals up to Rs. 150 cr, ET Rise report, Swarajya Magazine report.
[Oct 3] Huawei-wary US puts more pressure on India, offers alternatives to data localization, The Economic Times report.
[Oct 4] India-Russia missile deal: What is CAATSA law and its implications?, Jagran Josh report.
[Oct 4] Army inducts Israeli ‘tank killers’ till DRDO develops new ones, Defence Aviation post report.
[Oct 4] China, Russia deepen technological ties, Defense One report.
[Oct 4] Will not be afraid of taking decisions for fear of attracting corruption complaints: Rajnath Singh, New Indian Express report.
[Oct 4] At conclave with naval chiefs of 10 countries, NSA Ajit Doval floats an idea, Hindustan Times report.
[Oct 6] Pathankot airbase to finally get enhanced security, The Economic Times report.
[Oct 6] rafale with Meteor and Scalp missiles will give India unrivalled combat capability: MBDA, The Economic Times report.
[Oct 7] India, Bangladesh sign MoU for setting up a coastal surveillance radar in Bangladesh, The Economic Times report; Decaan Herald report.
[Oct 7] Indian operated T-90 tanks to become Russian army’s main battle tank, EurAsian Times report.
[Oct 7] IAF’s Sukhois to get more advanced avionics, radar, Defence Aviation post report.

Tech and Law Enforcement

[Sep 30] TMC MP Mahua Mitra wants to be impleaded in the WhatsApp traceability case, Medianama report; The Economic Times report.
[Oct 1] Role of GIS and emerging technologies in crime detection and prevention, Geospatial World.net report.
[Oct 2] TRAI to take more time on OTT norms; lawful interception, security issue now in focus, The Economic Times report.
[Oct 2[ China invents super surveillance camera that can spot someone from a crowd of thousands, The Independent report.
[Oct 4] ‘Don’t introduce end-to-end encryption,’ UK, US and Australia ask Facebook in an open letter, Medianama report.
[Oct 4] Battling new-age cyber threats: Kerala Police leads the way, The Week report.
[Oct 7] India govt bid to WhatsApp decryption gets push as UK,US, Australia rally support, Entrackr report.

Tech and Elections

[Oct 1] WhatsApp was extensively exploited during 2019 elections in India: Report, Firstpost report.
[Oct 3] A national security problem without a parallel in American democracy, Defense One report.

Internal Security: J&K

[Sep 30] BDC polls across Jammu, Kashmir, Ladakh on Oct 24, The Economic Times report.
[Sep 30] India ‘invaded and occupied Kashmir, says Malaysian PM at UN General Assembly, The Hindu report.
[Sep 30] J&K police stations to have CCTV camera surveillance, News18 report.
[Oct 1] 5 judge Supreme court bench to hear multiple pleas on Article 370, Kashmir lockdown today, India Today report.
[Oct 1] India’s stand clear on Kashmir: won’t accept third-party mediation, India Today report.
[Oct 1] J&K directs officials to ensure all schools reopen by Thursday, NDTV report.
[Oct 2]] ‘Depressed, frightened’: Minors held in Kashmir crackdown, Al Jazeera report.
[Oct 3] J&K: When the counting of the dead came to a halt, The Hindu report.
[Oct 3] High schools open in Kashmir, students missing, The Economic Times report.
[Oct 3] Jaishanakar reiterates India’s claim over Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, The Hindu report.
[Oct 3] Normalcy prevails in Jammu and Kashmir, DD News report.
[Oct 3] Kashmiri leaders will be released one by one, India Today report.
[Oct 4] India slams Turkey, Malaysia remarks on J&K, The Hindu report.
[Oct 5] India’s clampdown hits Kashmir’s Silicon Valley, The Economic Times report.
[Oct 5] Traffic cop among 14 injured in grenade attack in South Kashmir, NDTV report; The Economic Times report.
[Oct 6] Kashmir situation normal, people happy with Article 370 abrogation: Prkash Javadekar, Times of India report.
[Oct 7] Kashmir residents say police forcibly taking over their homes for CRPF troops, Huffpost India report.

Internal Security: Northeast/ NRC

[Sep 30] Giving total control of Assam Rifles to MHA will adversely impact vigil: Army to Govt, The Economic Times report.
[Sep 30] NRC list impact: Assam’s foreigner tribunals to have 1,600 on contract, The Economic Times report.
[Sep 30] Assam NRC: Case against Wipro for rule violation, The Hindu report; News18 report; Scroll.in report.
[Sep 30] Hindu outfits demand NRC in Karnataka, Deccan Chronicle report; The Hindustan Times report.
[Oct 1] Centre extends AFPSA in three districts of Arunachal Pradesh for six months, ANI News report.
[Oct 1] Assam’s NRC: law schools launch legal aid clinic for excluded people, The Hindu report; Times of India report; The Wire report.
[Oct 1] Amit Shah in Kolkata: NRC to be implemented in West Bengal, infiltrators will be evicted, The Economic Times report.
[Oct 1] US Congress panel to focus on Kashmir, Assam, NRC in hearing on human rights in South Asia, News18 report.
[Oct 1] NRC must for national security; will be implemented: Amit Shah, The Hindu Business Line report.
[Oct 2] Bengali Hindu women not on NRC pin their hope on promise of another list, citizenship bill, The Print report.
[Oct 3] Citizenship Amendment Bill has become necessity for those left out of NRC: Assam BJP president Ranjeet Das, The Economic Times report.
[Oct 3] BJP govt in Karnataka mulling NRC to identify illegal migrants, The Economic Times report.
[Oct 3] Explained: Why Amit Shah wants to amend the Citizenship Act before undertaking countrywide NRC, The Indian Express report.
[Oct 4] Duplicating NPR, NRC to sharpen polarization: CPM, Deccan Herald report.
[Oct 5] We were told NRC India’s internal issue: Bangladesh, Livemint report.
[Oct 6] Prasanna calls NRC ‘unjust law’, The New Indian Express report.

National Security Institutions

[Sep 30] CRPF ‘denied’ ration cash: Govt must stop ‘second-class’ treatment. The Quint report.
[Oct 1] Army calls out ‘prejudiced’ foreign report on ‘torture’, refutes claim, Republic World report.
[Oct 2] India has no extraterritorial ambition, will fulfill regional and global security obligations: Bipin Rawat, The Economic Times report.

More on Huawei, 5G

[Sep 30] Norway open to Huawei supplying 5G equipment, Forbes report.
[Sep 30] Airtel deploys 100 hops of Huawei’s 5G technology, The Economic Times report.
[Oct 1] America’s answer to Huawei, Foreign Policy report; Tech Circle report.
[Oct 1] Huawei buys access to UK innovation with Oxford stake, Financial Times report.
[Oct 3] India to take bilateral approach on issues faced by other countries with China: Jaishankar, The Hindu report.
[Oct 4] Bharti Chairman Sunil Mittal says India should allow Huawei in 5G, The Economic Times report
[Oct 6] 5G rollout: Huawei finds support from telecom industry, Financial Express report.

Emerging Tech: AI, Facial Recognition

[Sep 30] Bengaluru set to roll out AI-based traffic solution at all signals, Entrackr report.
[Sep 1] AI is being used to diagnose disease and design new drugs, Forbes report.
[Oct 1] Only 10 jobs created for every 100 jobs taken away by AI, The Economic Times report.
[Oct 2]Emerging tech is helping companies grow revenues 2x: report, ET Tech report.
[Oct 2] Google using dubious tactics to target people with ‘darker skin’ in facial recognition project: sources, Daily News report.
[Oct 2] Three problems posed by deepfakes that technology won’t solve, MIT Technology Review report.
[Oct 3] Getting a new mobile number in China will involve a facial recognition test, Quartz report.
[Oct 4] Google contractors targeting homeless people, college students to collect their facial recognition data: Report, Medianama report.
[Oct 4] More jobs will be created than are lost from the IA revolution: WEF AI Head, Livemint report.
[Oct 6] IIT-Guwahati develops AI-based tool for electric vehicle motor, Livemint report.
[Oct 7] Even if China misuses AI tech, Satya Nadella thinks blocking China’s AI research is a bad idea, India Times report.

Big Tech

[Oct 3] Dial P for privacy: Google has three new features for users, Times of India report.

Opinions and Analyses

[Sep 26] Richard Stengel, Time, We’re in the middle of a global disinformation war. Here’s what we need to do to win.
[Sep 29] Ilker Koksal, Forbes, The shift toward decentralized finance: Why are financial firms turning to crypto?
[Sep 30] Nistula Hebbar, The Hindu, Govt. views grassroots development in Kashmir as biggest hope for peace.
[Sep 30] Simone McCarthy, South China Morning Post, Could China’s strict cyber controls gain international acceptance?
[Sep 30] Nele Achten, Lawfare blog, New UN Debate on cybersecurity in the context of international security.
[Sep 30[ Dexter Fergie, Defense One, How ‘national security’ took over America.
[Sep 30] Bonnie Girard, The Diplomat, A firsrhand account of Huawei’s PR drive.
[Oct 1] The Economic Times, Rafale: Past tense but furture perfect.
[Oct 1] Simon Chandler, Forbes, AI has become a tool for classifying and ranking people.
[Oct 2] Ajay Batra, Business World, Rethink India! – MMRCA, ESDM & Data Privacy Policy.
[Oct 2] Carisa Nietsche, National Interest, Why Europe won’t combat Huawei’s Trojan tech.
[Oct 3] Aruna Sharma, Financial Express, The digital way: growth with welfare.
[Oct 3] Alok Prasanna Kumar, Medianama, When it comes to Netflix, the Government of India has no chill.
[Oct 3] Fredrik Bussler, Forbes, Why we need crypto for good.
[Oct 3] Panos Mourdoukoutas, Forbes, India changed the game in Kashmir – Now what?
[Oct 3] Grant Wyeth, The Diplomat, The NRC and India’s unfinished partition.
[Oct 3] Zak Doffman, Forbes, Is Huawei’s worst Google nightmare coming true?
[Oct 4] Oren Yunger, Tech Crunch, Cybersecurity is a bubble, but it’s not ready to burst.
[Oct 4] Minakshi Buragohain, Indian Express, NRS: Supporters and opposers must engage each other with empathy.
[Oct 4] Frank Ready, Law.com, 27 countries agreed on ‘acceptable’ cyberspace behavior. Now comes the hard part.
[Oct 4] Samir Saran, World economic Forum (blog), 3 reasons why data is not the new oil and why this matters to India.
[Oct 4] Andrew Marantz, The New York Times, Free Speech is killing us.
[Oct 4] Financial Times editorial, ECJ ruling risks for freedom of speech online.
[Oct 4] George Kamis, GCN, Digital transformation requires a modern approach to cybersecurity.
[Oct 4] Naomi Xu Elegant and Grady McGregor, Fortune, Hong King’s mask ban pits anonymity against the surveillance state.
[Oct 4] Prashanth Parameswaran, The Diplomat, What’s behind the new US-ASEAN cyber dialogue?
[Oct 5] Huong Le Thu, The Strategist, Cybersecurity and geopolitics: why Southeast Asia is wary of a Huawei ban.
[Oct 5] Hannah Devlin, The Guardian, We are hurtling towards a surveillance state: the rise of facial recognition technology.
[Oct 5] PV Navaneethakrishnan, The Hindu Why no takers? (for ME/M.Tech programmes).
[Oct 6] Aakar Patel, Times of India blog, Cases against PC, letter-writing celebs show liberties are at risk.
[Oct 6] Suhasini Haidar, The Hindu, Explained: How ill purchases from Russia affect India-US ties?
[Oct 6] Sumit Chakraberty, Livemint, Evolution of business models in the era of privacy by design.
[Oct 6] Spy’s Eye, Outlook, Insider threat management.
[Oct 6] Roger Marshall, Deccan Herald, Big oil, Big Data and the shape of water.
[Oct 6] Neil Chatterjee, Fortune, The power grid is evolving. Cybersecurity must too.
[Oct 7] Scott W Pink, Modaq.com, EU: What is GDPR and CCPA and how does it impact blockchain?
[Oct 7] GN Devy, The Telegraph, Has India slid into an irreversible Talibanization of the mind?
[Oct 7] Susan Ariel Aaronson, South China Morning Post, The Trump administration’s approach to AI is not that smart: it’s about cooperation, not domination.

[September 23-30] CCG’s Week in Review: Curated News in Information Law and Policy

Posted on September 30, 2019 by Gunjan Chawla

The deadline to link PAN cards with Aadhaar was extended to December 31 this week; the Election Commission ruled that voting rights of those excluded in the NRC process remain unaffected; the Home Minister proposed a digital census with multipurpose ID cards for 2021; and 27 nations including the US, UK and Canada issued joint statement urging for a rules-based order in cyberspace – presenting this week’s most important developments in law, technology and national security.

Aadhaar and Digital IDs

[Sep 23] Home Minister announces digital census in 2021, proposed multipurpose ID card, Entrackr report; Business Today report.
[Sep 24] NRIs can now apply for Aadhaar on arrival without 182-day wait, The Economic Times report.
[Sep 24] Aadhaar will be linked to driving license to avoid forgery: Ravi Shankar Prasad, The Indian Express report.
[Sep 24] One nation, one card? Amit Shah floats idea of all-in-one ID; here are all the problems with that idea, Medianama report; Money Control report.
[Sep 24] Explained: Is India likely to have a multipurpose national ID card? The Indian Express report.
[Sep 24] UIDAI nod to ‘voluntary’ use of Aadhaar for National Population Register rollout, The Economic Times report.
[Sep 24] Govt must decide on Aadhaar-social media linkage:SC, Deccan Herald report.
[Sep 25] New law needed for Aadhaar-social media linkage: UIDAI, The Economic Times report; Inc42 report.
[Sep 26] NPR process to include passport, voter ID, Aadhaar and other details, Business Standard report.
[Sep 27] Gang involved in making fake Aadhaar cards busted, The Tribune report.
[Sep 27] What will happen if you don’t link your PAN card with Aadhaar by Sep 20, The Quint report.
[Sep 27] Explained: The National Population Register, and the controversy around it, The Indian Express report.
[Sep 27] Aadhaar to weed out bogus social security beneficiaries in Karnataka, Deccan Herald report.
[Sep 29] Bajrang Dal wants Aadhaar mandatory at dandiya to keep ‘non-Hindus’ out, The Hindustan Times report; The Wire report.
[Sep 30] Kerala urges Centre to extend deadline to link ration cards with Aadhaar, The News Minute report.
[Sep 30] PAN-Aadhaar linking deadline extended to December 31, The Economic Times report.

Digital India

[Sep 25] India’s regulatory approach should focus on the regulation of the ‘core’: IAMAI, Livemint report.
[Sep 27] India may have to offer sops to boost electronic manufacturing, ET Tech report; Inc42 report.
[Sep 27] Digital India, start-ups are priorities for $5 trillion economy: PM Modi, Medianama report.
[Sep 29] Tech giants aim to skill Indian govt officials in AI, cloud, ET CIO report.
[Sep 29] India’s share in IT, R&D biz up in 2 years: report, The Economic Times report.

Internet Governance

[Sep 24] Supreme Court to MeitY: What’s the status of intermediary guidelines? Tell us by Oct 15, Medianama report.
[Sep 26] Will not be ‘excessive’ with social media rules, ay Govt officials, Inc42 report.
[Sep 26] Government trying to balance privacy and security in draft IT intermediary norms, The Economic Times report.
[Sep 27] Citizens, tech companies served better with some regulation: Facebook India MD Ajit Mohan, ET Tech report; Inc42 report.
[Sep 27] Balance benefits of internet, data security: Google CEO Sundar Pichai, ET Tech report; Business Today report.

Free Speech

[Sep 25] Jadavpur University calls upon ‘stakeholders’ to ensure free speech on campus, The New Indian Express report.
[Sep 28] RSS raises objections to uncensored content of Maoj Bajpayee’s “The Family Man”, The Hindu report; Outlook report.

Privacy and Data Protection

[Sep 23] A landmark decision on Tuesday could radically reshape how Google’s search results work, Business Insider report.
[Sep 23] Google tightens its voice assistant rules amidst privacy backlash, Wired report.
[Sep 24] Dell rolls out new data protection storage appliances and capabilities, ZDNet report.
[Sep 24] ‘Right to be forgotten’ privacy rule is limited by Europe’s top court, The New York Times report; Live Law report.
[Sep 27] Nigeria launches investigation into Truecaller for potential breach of privacy, Medianama report.
[Sep 29] Right to be forgotten will be arduous as India frames data protection law, Business Standard report.
[Sep 30] FPIs move against data bill, seek exemption, ET Telecom report; Entrackr report.

Data Localisation

[Sep 26] Reconsider imposition of data localisation: IAMAI report, The Economic Times report.
[Sep 27] Why data is not oil: Here’s how India’s data localisation norms will hurt the economy, Inc42 report.

Digital Payments and Fintech

[Sep 23] RBI rider on credit bureau data access has Fintech in a quandary, ET Tech report.

Cryptocurrencies

[Sep 23] Facebook reveals Libra currency basket breakdown, Coin Desk report.
[Sep 23] The face of India’s crypto lobby readies for a clash, Ozy report.
[Sep 23] Why has Brazil’s Central Bank included crypto assets in trade balance? Coin Telegraph report.
[Sep 24] French retailers widening crypto acceptance, Tech Xplore report.
[Sep 26] Why crypto hoaxes are so successful, Quartz report.
[Sep 26] South Africa: the net frontier for crypto exchanges, Coin Telegraph report.
[Sep 27] The crypto wars’ strange bedfellows, Forbes report.
[Sep 28] Crypto industry is already preparing for Google’s ‘quantum supremacy’, Decrypt report.
[Sep 29] How crypto gambling is regulated around the world, Coin Telegraph report.

Tech and Law Enforcement

[Sep 29] New WhatsApp and Facebook Encryption ‘Backdoors’ – What’s really going on, Forbes report.
[Sep 28] Facebook, WhatsApp will have to share messages with UK Government, Bloomberg report.
[Sep 23] Secret FBI subpoenas scoop up personal data from scores of companies, The New York Times report.
[Sep 23] ‘Don’t transfer the WhatsApp traceability case’, Internet Freedom Foundation asks Supreme Court, Medianama report.
[Sep 24] China offers free subway rides to citizens who register their face with surveillance system, The Independent report.
[Sep 24] Facial recognition technology in public housing prompts backlash, The New York Times report.
[Sep 24] Facebook-Aadhaar linkage and WhatsApp traceability: Supreme Court says government must frame rules, CNBC TV18 report.
[ep 27] Fashion that counters surveillance cameras, Business Times report.
[Sep 27] Unnao rape case: Delhi court directs Apple to give Sengar’s location details on day of alleged rape, Medianama report.
[Sep 27] Face masks to decoy t-shirts: the rise of anti-surveillance fashion, Times of India report.
[Sep 30] Battle for privacy and encryption: WhatsApp and government head for a showdown on access to messages, ET Prime report.
[Sep 29] Improving digital evidence sharing, Scottish Government news report; Public technology report.

Internal Security: J&K

[Sep 23] Government launches internet facilitation centre in Pulwama for students, Times of India report; Business Standard report.
[Sep 23] Army chief rejects ‘clampdown’ in Jammu and Kashmir, Times of India report.
[Sep 24] Rising power: Why India has faced muted criticism over its Kashmir policy, Business Standard report.
[Sep 24] ‘Restore Article 370, 35A in Jammu and Kashmir, withdraw army, paramilitary forces’: 5-member women’s group will submit demands to Amit Shah, Firstpost report.
[Sep 24] No normalcy in Kashmir, says fact finding team, The Hindu report.
[Sep 25] End clampdown: Kashmir media, The Telegraph report.
[Sep 25] Resolve Kashmir issue through dialogue and not through collision: Erdogan, The Economic Times report.
[Sep 25] Rajya Sabha deputy chair thwarts Pakistan’s attempt at Kashmir at Eurasian Conference, The Economic Times report.
[Sep 25] Pakistan leader will urge UN intervention in Kashmir, The New York Times report.
[Sep 25] NSA Ajit Doval back in Srinagar to review security situation, The Hindustan Times report.
[Sep 27] Communication curbs add fresh challenge to Kashmir counter-insurgency operations, News18 report.
[Sep 27] Fresh restrictions in parts of Kashmir, The Hindu report.
[Sep 27] US wants ‘rapid’ easing of Kashmir restrictions, Times of India report.
[Sep 27] Kashmir issue: Rescind action on Art. 370, OIC tells India, The Hindu report.
[Sep 28] India objects to China’s reference to J&K and Ladakh at UNGA, The Economic Times report; The Hindu report.
[Sep 29] Surveillance, area domination operations intensified in Kashmir, The Economic Times report; Financial Express report.
[Sep 29] Police impose restrictions in J&K after Imran Khan’s speech at UNGA, India Today report.

Internal Security: NRC and the North-East

[Sep 23] Assam framing cyber security policy to secure data related to NRC, police, services, The Economic Times report; Money Control report.
[Sep 24] BJP will tell SC that we reject this NRC, says Himanta Biswa Sarma, Business Standard report.
[Sep 24] Amit Shah to speak on NRC, Citizenship Amendment Bill in Kolkata on Oct 1, The Economic Times report.
[Sep 26] ‘Expensive’ legal battle for those rejected in Assam NRC final list, The Economic Times report.
[Sep 27] Scared of NRC? Come back in 2022, The Telegraph report.
[Sep 27] Voters left out of NRC will have right to vote, rules Election Commission, India Today report; The Wire report.
[Sep 27] NRC: Assam government announces 200 Foreigners Tribunals in 33 districts, Times Now report; Times of India report.
[Sep 28] Judge urges new FT members to examine NRC claims with utmost care, Times of India report.

National Security Legislation

[Sep 23] Centre will reintroduce Citizenship Bill in Parliament: Himanta Biswa Sarma, The Hindu report.
[Sep 26] National Security Guard: History, Functions and Operations, Jagran Josh report.
[Sep 28] Left parties seek revocation of decision on Article 370, The Tribune India report.

Tech and National Security

[Sep 25] Army to start using Artificial Intelligence in 2-3 years: South Western Army commander, The Print report; India Today report; The New Indian Express report; Financial Express report.
[Sep 23] Modi, Trump set new course on terrorism, border security, The Hindu report.
[Sep 23] PM Modi in the US” Trump promises more defence deals with India, military trade to go up, Financial Express report.
[Sep 23] Punjab police bust terror module supplied with weapons by drones from Pak, NDTV report.
[Sep 26] Lockheed Martin to begin supplying F-16 wings from Hyderabad plant in 2020, Livemint report.
[Sep 26] Drones used for cross-border arms infiltration in Punjab a national security issues, says Randhawa, The Hindu report.
[Sep 27] UK MoD sets up cyber team for secure innovation, UK Authority report.
[Sep 29] New tri-services special ops division, meant for surgical strikes, finishes first exercise today, The Print report.
[Sep 30] After Saudi attacks, India developing anti-drone technology to counter drone menace, Eurasian Times report.

Tech and Elections

[Sep 20] Microsoft will offer free Windows 7 support for US election officials through 2020, Cyber Scoop report.
[Sep 26] Social media platforms to follow ‘code of ethics’ in all future elections: EC, The Economic Times report.
[Sep 28] Why is EC not making ‘authentic’ 2019 Lok Sabha results public? The Quint report.

Cybersecurity

[Sep 24] Androids and iPhones hacked with just one WhatsApp click – and Tibetans are under attack, Forbes report.
[Sep 25] Sharp questions can help board oversee cybersecurity, The Wall Street Journal report.
[Sep 25] What we know about CrowdStrike, the cybersecurity firm trump mentioned in Ukraine call, and its billionaire CEO, Forbes report.
[Sep 25] 36% smaller firms witnessed data breaches in 2019 globally, ET Rise report.
[Sep 28] Defence Construction Canada hit by cyber attack – corporation’s team trying to restore full IT capability, Ottawa Citizen report.
[Sep 29] Experts call for collective efforts to counter cyber threats, The New Indian Express report.
[Sep 29] Microsoft spots malware that turns PCs into zombie proxies, ET Telecom report.
[Sep 29] US steps up scrutiny of airplane cybersecurity, The Wall Street Journal report.

Cyberwarfare

[Sep 24] 27 countries sign cybersecurity pledge urging rules-based control over cyberspace in Joint Statement, with digs at China and Russia, CNN report; IT world Canada report; Meri Talk report.
[Sep 26] Cyber Peace Institute fills a critical need for cyber attack victims, Microsoft blog.
[Sep 29] Britain is ‘at war every day’ due to constant cyber attacks, Chief of the Defence Staff says, The Telegraph report.

Telecom and 5G

[Sep 27] Telcos’ IT investments intact, auto companies may slow pace: IBM exec, ET Tech report.
[Sep 29] Telecom players to lead digital transformation in India, BW Businessworld report.

More on Huawei

[Sep 22] Huawei confirms another nasty surprise for Mate 30 buyers, Forbes report.
[Sep 23] We’re on the same page with government on security: Huawei, The Economic Times report.
[Sep 24] The debate around 5G’s safety is getting in the way of science, Quartz report (paywall).
[Sep 24] Govt will take call on Huawei with national interest in mind: Telecom Secy, Business Standard report.
[Sep 24] Huawei enables 5G smart travel system at Beijing airport, Tech Radar report.
[Sep 25] Huawei 5G backdoor entry unproven, The Economic Times report.
[Sep 25] US prepares $1 bn fund to replace Huawei ban kit, Tech Radar report.
[Sep 26] Google releases large dataset of deepfakes for researchers, Medianama report.
[Sep 26] Huawei willing to license 5G technology to a US firm, The Hindu Business Line report; Business Standard report.
[Sep 26] Southeast Asia’s top phone carrier still open to Huawei 5G, Bloomberg report.
[Sep 29] Russia rolls out the red carpet for Huawei over 5G, The Economic Times report.

Emerging Tech and AI

[Sep 20] Google researchers have reportedly achieved “Quantum Supremacy”, Financial Times report; MIT Technology Review report.
[Sep 23] Artificial Intelligence revolution in healthcare in India: All we need to know, The Hindustan Times report.
[Sep 23] A new joystick for the brain-controlled vehicles of the future, Defense One report.
[Sep 24] Computing and AI: Humanistic Perspectives from MIT, MIT News report.
[Sep 24] Emerging technologies such as AI, 5G posing threats to privacy, says report, China Daily report.
[Sep 25] Alibaba unveils chip developed for artificial intelligence era, Financial Times report.
[Sep 26] Pentagon wants AI to interpret ‘strategic activity around the globe, Defense One report.
[Sep 27] Only 10 jobs created for every 100 jobs taken away by AI, ET Tech report.
[Sep 27] Experts say these emerging technologies should concern us, Business Insider report.
[Sep 27] What is on the horizon for export controls on ‘emerging technologies’? Industry comments may hold a clue, Modaq.com report.
[Sep 27] India can become world leader in artificial intelligence: Vishal Sikka, Money Control report.
[Sep 27] Elon Musk issues a terrifying prediction of ‘AI robot swarms’ and huge threat to mankind, The Daily Express (UK) report.
[Sep 27] Russia’s national AI Centre is taking shape, Defense One report.
[Sep 29] Explained: What is ‘quantum supremacy’, The Hindu report.
[Sep 29] Why are scientists so excited about a new quantum computing milestone?, Scroll.in report.
[Sep 29] Artificial Intelligence has a gender bias problem – just ask Siri, The Wire report.
[Sep 29] How AI is changing the landscape of digital marketing, Inc42 report.

Opinions and Analyses

[Sep 21] Wim Zijnenburg, Defense One, Time to Harden International Norms on Armed Drones.
[Sep 23] David Sanger and Julian Barnes, The New York Times, The urgent search for a cyber silver bullet against Iran.
[Sep 23] Neven Ahmad, PRIO Blog, The EU’s response to the drone age: A united sky.
[Sep 23] Bisajit Dhar and KS Chalapati Rao, The Wire, Why an India-US Free Trade Agreement would require New Delhi to reorient key policies.
[Sep 23] Filip Cotfas, Money Control, Five reasons why data loss prevention has to be taken seriously.
[Sep 23] NF Mendoza, Tech Republic, 10 policy principles needed for artificial intelligence.
[Sep 24] Ali Ahmed, News Click, Are Indian armed forces turning partisan? : The changing civil-military relationship needs monitoring.
[Sep 24] Editorial, Deccan Herald, A polity drunk on Aadhaar.
[Sep 24] Mike Loukides, Quartz, The biggest problem with social media has nothing to do with free speech.
[Sep 24] Ananth Padmanabhan, Medianama, Civilian Drones: Privacy challenges and potential resolution.
[Sep 24] Celine Herwijer and Dominic Kailash Nath Waughray, World Economic Forum, How technology can fast-track the global goals.
[Sep 24] S. Jaishankar, Financial Times, Changing the status of Jammu and Kashmir will benefit all of India.
[Sep 24] Editorial, Livemint, Aadhaar Mark 2.
[Sep 24] Vishal Chawla, Analytics India Magazine, AI in Defence: How Indi compares to US, China, Russia and South Korea.
[Sep 25] Craig Borysowich, IT Toolbox, Origin of Markets for Artificial Intelligence.
[Sep 25] Sudeep Chakravarti, Livemint, After Assam, NRC troubles may visit ‘sister’ Tripura.
[Sep 25] DH Kass, MSSP Blog, Cyber Warfare: New Rules of Engagement?
[Sep 25] Chris Roberts, Observer, How artificial intelligence could make nuclear war more likely.
[Sep 25] Ken Tola, Forbes, What is cybersecurity?
[Sep 25] William Dixon and Jamil Farshchi, World Economic Forum, AI is transforming cybercrime. Here’s how we can fight back.
[Sep 25] Patrick Tucker, Defense One, Big Tech bulks up its anti-extremism group. But will it do more than talk?
[Sep 26] Udbhav Tiwari, Huffpost India, Despite last year’s Aadhaar judgement, Indians have less privacy than ever.
[Sep 26] Sylvia Mishra, Medianama, India and the United States: The time has come to collaborate on commercial drones.
[Sep 26] Subimal Bhattacharjee, The Hindu Business Line, Data flows and our national security interests.
[Sep 26] Ram Sagar, Analytics India Magazine, Top countries that are betting big on AI-based surveillance.
[Sep 26] Patrick Tucker, Defense One, AI will tell future medics who lives and who dies on the battlefield.
[Sep 26] Karen Hao, MIT Technology Review, This is how AI bias really happens – and why it’s so hard to fix.
[Sep 27] AG Noorani, Frontline, Kashmir dispute: Domestic or world issue?
[Sep 27] Sishanta Talukdar, Frontline, Final NRC list: List of exclusion.
[Sep 27] Freddie Stuart, Open Democracy, How facial recognition technology is bringing surveillance capitalism to our streets.
[Sep 27] Paul de Havilland, Crypto Briefing, Did Bitcoin crash or dip? Crypto’s trajectory moving forward.
[Sep 28] John Naughton, The Guardian, Will advances in quantum computing affect internet security?
[Sep 28] Suhrith Parthasarathy, The Hindu, The top court and a grave of freedom.
[Sep 28] Kazim Rizvi, YourStory, Data Protection Authority: the cornerstone to implement data privacy.
[Sep 28] Shekhar Gupta, The Print, Modi has convinced the world that Kashmir is India’s internal affair – but they’re still watching.
[Sep 29] Indrani Bagchi, The Economic Times, Why india needs to tread carefully on Kashmir.
[Sep 29] Medha Dutta Yadav, The New Indian Express, Data: Brave new frontier.
[Sep 29] Jon Markman, Forbes, New cybersecurity companies have their heads in the cloud.
[Sep 29] Editorial, The New York Times, On cybersecurity: Two scoops of perspective.
[Sep 30] Kuldip Singh, The Quint, New IAF Chief’s appointment: Why RKS Bhadauria must tread lightly.
[Sep 30] Karishma Koshal, The Caravan, With the data-protection bill in limbo, these policies contravene the right to privacy.

[September 16-23] CCG’s Week in Review: Curated News in Information Law and Policy

Posted on September 23, 2019 by Gunjan Chawla

Cybersecurity experts warned of a new ‘SIM jacking’ threat, the Kerala High Court recognizes a right to access internet as the internet shutdown in Kashmir entered its 50^th day; more updates on the linkage of Aadhaar with voter IDs and social media as the Indian Army braces itself to adopt AI – presenting this week’s most important developments in law, tech and national security.

Aadhaar

[Sep 16] Here are the amendments the Election Commission wants to the Representation of the People Act for Aadhaar-Voter ID linkage, Medianama report.
[Sep 18] Why Maj. Gen. Vombatkere has challenged Aadhaar Amendment Act in the Supreme Court; On WhatsApp and traceability, Medianama report.
[Sep 19] Drop in Aadhaar enrolments in J&K, The Economic Times report.
[Sep 20] In-principle decision to link Aadhaar with GST registration, The Economic Times report.
[Sep 23] Aadhaar card is now mandatory for nominees of your EPF account, Livemint report.

Digital India

[Sep 18] Indo-US ICT working group to meet on Sept 30, Oct 1, Medianama report.
[Sep 17] NITI Aayog frames guidelines for automated inspection of vehicles, ET Auto report.
[Sep 17] What TikTok told MEITY about its intermediary status, data collection, and policies for children, Medianama report.
[Sep 18] Soon, lands will have Aadhaar-like unique numbers, The Economic Times report; Business Today report.
[Sep 18] Drones to be used to digitally map India: report, Medianama report.
[Sep 18] PMO panel to release policy to boost handset manufacturing in India: report, Medianama report.
[Sep 19] Karnataka to set up exclusive body to boost innovation, The Hindu report.
[Sep 20] ‘Right To Access Internet Is Part Of Right To Privacy And Right To Education’: Kerala HC, Live Law report; Hindu report; NDTV report.

Data Protection and Privacy

[Sep 15] Privacy debate between govt, Facebook continues; no winner yet, Money Control report.
[Sep 16] Singapore, Philippines sign MoU on personal data protection, The Manila Times report.
[Sep 16] Industry wants careful drafting of regulations on non-personal data, The Economic Times report.
[Sep 16] Here are the top three reasons why data protection is required in every business, Firstpost report.
[Sep 20] Sensitive, super-sensitive data must be stored locally in india: RS PRasad, Business Standard report.
[Sep 20] Yet another data leak in Indian government database, exoposes multiple citizen IDs, Inc42 report.
[Sep 22] Infosys co-founder Kris Gopalakrishnan to lead panel on protection of non-personal data, Financial Express report.

E-Commerce

[Sep 16] Odisha government makes e-marketplace mandatory for procurements, The New Indian Express report.
[Sep 16] US antitrust officials investigate Amazon’s marketplace practices, Medianama report.
[Sep 17] Ministry of COnsumer Affairs extends deadline for comments on draft E-Commerce Guidelines 2019 to October 31, Medianama report.

FinTech and Digital Payments

[Sep 16] WhatsApp to roll out its payment services by end of this year: report, Medianama report; The Economic Times report.
[Sep 18] RBI proposes norms to regulate payment gateways and payment aggregators, Entrackr report.
[Sep 19] Regulatory shock for fintech firms: RBI blocks unregulated access to consumer credit history, Entrackr report.
[Sep 19] DSCI, MeitY and Google India join hands for ‘Digital Payment Abhiyan’, The Economic Times report.

Cryptocurrencies

[Sep 16] The toss of a Bitcoin: How crypto ban will hurt 5 mn Indians, 20k Blockchain developers, The Economic Times report.
[Sep 16] US Sanctions three alleged crypto hacking groups from North Korea, Coin Desk report.
[Sep 16] Crypto firms assess how to comply with anti-money laundering standards, The Wall Street Journal report.
[Sep 19] Bitcoin and crypto wallets are now being targeted by malware, Forbes report.
[Sep 21] Weekends are for Altcoins when it comes to crypto market gains, ET Markets report.
[Sep 21] Chinese officials surprisingly chill on crypto, Decrypt report.

Cybersecurity

[Sep 13] Ransomware has a new target, Defense One report.
[Sep 16] Deep learning and machine learning to transform cybersecurity, Tech Wire Asia report.
[Sep 16] America needs a whole-of-society approach to cybersecurity. ‘Grand Challenges’ can help, Defense One report.
[Sep 17] Financial asset firm PCI ordered to pay $1.5 million for poor cybersecurity practices, ZD Net report.
[Sep 20] Current Act outdated, need to include cyber security in IT legal framework: DCA chief, The Indian Express report.
[Sep 20] 10% of IT budget should be used for cybersecurity: Rear Admiral Mohit Gupta, ET Times report.
[Sep 20] Once hacked, twice shy: How auto supplier Harman learned to fight cyber car jackers, ET Auto report.
[Sep 21] Cybersecurity a big opportunity for telcos, says IBM executive, The Economic Times report.
[Sep 23] Cybersecurity experts raise alarm over new SIM jacking threat, The New Indian Express report.
[Sep 23] Cybersecurity: Tackling the menace of phishing, Financial Express report.

Tech and Law Enforcement; Surveillance

[Sep 15] Facebook moots ‘prospective’ solution to WhatsApp issue; India stands firm on traceability, Business Today report; Livemint report.
[Sep 18] Chinese firms are driving the rise of AI surveillance across Africa, Quartz report.
[Sep 18] Documents reveal how Russia taps phone companies for surveillance, Tech Crunch report.
[Sep 20] WhatsApp traceability case petitioner asks court to remove Aadhaar from the plea, consider only ‘authorised govt proofs’, Medianama report; Inc42 report; Bar & Bench report.
[Sep 20] Chennai-based KPost says traceability is possible, wants to be impleaded in WhatsApp case, Medianama report.

Tech and National Security

[Sep 13] Pentagon’s former top hacker wants to inject some Silicon Valley into the defense industry, Defense One report.
[Sep 16] Here’s how startups are helping the Defence Ministry up its game, Money Control report.
[Sep 16] After 6 years in exile, Edward Snowden explains himself, Wired report.
[Sep 17] US tells Saudi Arabia oil attacks were launched from Iran, The Wall Street Journal report.
[Sep 17] Why Rafale jets may be inducted into IAF by next summer only, Livemint report.
[Sep 17] US Air Force to shift billions of dollars to network its weapons, Defense One report.
[Sep 18] India to achieve US$26 billion defence industry by 2025: Defence Minister, Business Standard report.
[Sep 18] Mitigating security risks from emerging technologies, Army Technology analysis.
[Sep 18] Revised draft defence procurement norms to be ready by November end, The Hindu report.
[Sep 20] The NSA is running a satellite hacking experiment, Defense One report.
[Sep 20] Army to host seminar on artificial intelligence next week; seeks to enhance lethality, The Economic Times report; India Today report; The New Indian Express report.
[Sep 20] Defence Procurement: Not a level playing field for private sector, PSUs still rule, Bharat Shakti report.
[Sep 20] Indian Air Force ‘accepts’ Rafale, formal hand over on Dussehra, Livemint report.
[Sep 22] Amid US-India blooming ties, Washington prepares to take down Indian air defence systems, EurAsian Times report.
[Sep 23] Government likely to order 36 more Rafale fighter jets, The Economic Times report.

Tech and Elections

[Sep 20] Social media companies raise concerns over Election Commission’s voluntary code of ethics, Medianama report.

Internal Security: J&K

[Sep 16] Supreme Court says normalcy to return to Kashmir but with national security in mind, India Today report.
[Sep 16] Farooq Abdullah booked under Public Safety Act, committee to decide duration of arrest: report, Financial Express report.
[Sep 17] Amnesty’s report on the (mis)use of Public Safety Act in J&K counters the govt’s narrative, Youth ki Awaaz report.
[Sep 18] China says Kashmir issue may not be a ‘major topic’ during Modi-Xi meet, Livemint report.
[Sep 19] In Pakistan-held Kashmir, growing calls for independence, The New York Times report.
[Sep 20] Kashmir residents say they are being charged by telcos despite no service, The Hindu report.
[Sep 20] UN Chief could discuss Kashmir issues at UNGA: UN spokesman, The Economic Times report.
[Sep 20] How military drones are becoming deadly weapons across the globe, The Economic Times report.
[Sep 22] Modi’s Digital India comes crashing down in Kashmir’s longest ever internet gag, The Wire report; The Hindu report.
[Sep 23] No clampdown in Kashmir, only communication line of terrorists stopped: Army Chief Bipin Rawat, India Today report.

Internal Security: NRC

[Sep 16] Those declared foreigners cannot file NRC appeal, say Assam govt, Hindustan Times report.
[Sep 18] NRC in Haryana, The Tribune report.
[Sep 18] NRC is an internal exercise, sovereign right of a country: EAM Jaishankar, Outlook report.
[Sep 18] Government will implement NRC across the country: Amit Shah, The Economic Times report.; Times of India report.
[Sep 21] NRC Officials issue public advisory against collection of identification documents, Guwahati Plus report.
[Sep 22] NRC-exluded Gurkhas not to approach foreigners’ Tribunals, seek empowered panel, The Hindu report; Times of India report.
[Sep 14] Final Assam NRC list, with 1.9 million exclusions, published online, Hindustan Times report.

National Security Law

[Sep 17] Pulwama to Aug 5: Delhi HC indicted govt for PSA arrests – in 80 pc cases, Financial Express report.
[Sep 16] What is the Public Safety Act under which Farooq Abdullah has been detained? News Nation report.
[Sep 16] 52 years on, still no sign of national defence university, The Times of India report.
[Sep 16] NSA Doval gets national security, foreign policy as PMO defines roles of top officials, The Asian Age report.

Big Tech

[Sep 15] Facebook VP Nick Clegg says India’s policies will decide the fate of the internet, Financial Express report.
[Sep 17] Facebook Establishes Structure and Governance for an Independent Oversight Board, Facebook Newsroom announcement; Medianama report.
[Sep 19] Facebook expands definition of terrorist organization to limit extremism, The New York Times report.
[Sep 22] Facebook is experimenting ith AI that lets you digitally get dressed, The Source report.
[Sep 23] Google braces for landmark global privacy ruling, Bloomberg report.

Telecom/5G

[Sep 16] 5G spectrum auction this year or in early 2020: Telecom Minister RS Prasad, Medianama report.
[Sep 20] TRAI opens consultation process for mergers and transfers in telecom sector, Medianama report.
[Sep 23] Indian masses have to wait 5-6 years to get true 5G experience, ET Telecom report.

More on Huawei

[Sep 17] Facing US ban, Huawei emerging as stronger tech competitor, The Hindu Business Line report, The Diplomat report.
[Sep 18] Huawei’s big test will be trying to sell a device with no Google apps outside China, Quartz report.
[Sep 18] Huawei users at risk as US blacklist cuts access to shared data on new cyber threats, Forbes report.
[Sep 20] Huawei makes sizeable 5G progress, bags 60 contracts: Ken Hu, The Economic Times report.
[Sep 21] Huawei unveils 5G training center in UK, ET Telecom report.

AI and Emerging Tech

[Sep 14] Artificial intelligence only goes so far in today’s economy, says MIT study, Forbes report.
[Sep 16] The US Govt will spend $1 bn on AI next year – not counting the Pentagon, Defense One report.
[Sep 18] Facial recognition systems to debut at Pune airport by 2020: report, Medianama report.
[Sep 18] AI stats news: AI is actively watching you in 75 countries, Forbes report.
[Sep 18] The Intel community ants to identify people from hundreds of yards away, Defense One report.
[Sep 19] Google setting up AI lab ‘Google Research India’ in Bengaluru, Entrackr report.
[Sep 20] India is planning a huge China-style facial recognition program, The Economic Times report.

Opinions and Analyses

[Sep 15] Nitin Pai, Livemint, The geopolitical profile of India tracks the economy’s trajectory.
[Sep 16] Paul Ravindranath, Tech Circle, Inclusion in technology is a compelling economic and business case.
[Sep 16] Markandey Katju, The Hindu, The litmus test for free speech.
[Sep 16] Vishal Chawla, Analytics India Magazine, What India can take away from Google’s settlement on employees’ freedom of expression.
[Sep 16] Editorial, Times of India, All talk: Fate of national defence university shows apathy towards defence modernisation.
[Sep 16] Jeff Hussey, Forbes, The gap between strong cybersecurity and demands for connectivity is getting massive.
[Sep 16] Kai Sedgwick, Bitcoin.com, How crypto became a gamblers paradise.
[Sep 17] Ajai Shukla, Business Standard, In picking strategic partners, the defence ministry isn’t spoilt for choice.
[Sep 17] Anthony Pfaff, Defense One, The Saudi-Oil attacks aren’t game changing. The Show how the Game has changed.
[Sep 17] Kayla Matthews, Security Boulevard, Who’s financially responsible for cybersecurity breaches?
[Sep 17] Anirudh Gotety, ET Markets, Check crypto trade, ban won’t help.
[Sep 17] PS Ahluwalia, Livemint, Rafale will add heft to IAF’s deterrence capabilities.
[Sep 17] Lorand Laksai, Privacy International, How China is supplying surveillance technology and training around the world.
[Sep 18] Tabish Khair, The Hindu, In Kashmir, shaking the apple tree.
[Sep 18] Catrin Nye, BBC News, Live facial recognition surveillance ‘must stop’ .
[Sep 18] Privacy International, the EU funds surveillance around the world: here’s what must be done about it.
[Sep 18] Joshua P Meltzer and Cameron F. Kerry, Brookings Institution, Cybersecurity and digital trade: Getting it right.
[Sep 19] Lt Gen HS Panag, The Print, Amit Shah’s political aim to recover PoK is not backed by India’s military capacity.
[Sep 20] Rifat Fareed, Al Jazeera, Farooq Abdullah’s arrest leaves India with few allies in Kashmir.
[Sep 22] Air Marshal (retd) M Matheswaran, Deccan Herald, Time for structural reforms, modernisation.

[September 2-9] CCG’s Week in Review: Curated News in Information Law and Policy

Posted on September 9, 2019 by Gunjan Chawla

This week, Delhi International Airport deployed facial recognition on a ‘trial basis’ for 3 months, landline communications were restored in Kashmir as the Government mulls over certification for online video streaming platforms like Netflix and PrimeVideo – presenting this week’s most important developments in law, tech and national security.

Aadhaar

[Sep 3] PAN will be issued automatically using Aadhaar for filing returns: CBDT, DD News report.
[Sep 3] BJD set to collect Aadhaar numbers of its members in Odisha, Opposition parties slam move, News 18 report; The New Indian Express report; Financial Express report.
[Sep 5] Aadhaar is secure, says ex-UIDAI chief, Times of India report.
[Sep 5] Passport-like Aadhaar centre opened in Chennai: Online appointment booking starts, Livemint report.
[Sep 8] Plans to link Janani Suraksha and Matra Vandan schemes with Aadhaar: CM Yogi Adityanath, Times of India report.

Digital India

[Sep 5] Digital media bodies welcome 26% FDI cap, Times of India report.
[Sep 6] Automation ‘not threat’ to India’s IT industry, ET Tech report.
[Sep 6] Tech Mahindra to modernise AT&T network systems, Tech Circle report.

Data Protection and Governance

[Sep 2] Health data comes under the purview of Data Protection Bill: IAMAI, Inc42 report.
[Sep 2] Credit history should not be viewed as sensitive data, say online lenders, Livemint report.
[Sep 3] MeitY may come up with policy on regulation of non-personal data, Medianama report.
[Sep 3] MeitY to work on a white paper to gain clarity on public data regulations, Inc42 report.
[Sep 6] Treating data as commons is more beneficial, says UN report, Medianama report.
[Sep 9] Indian Government may allow companies to sell non-personal data of its users, Inc42 report, The Economic Times report.
[Sep 9] Tech firms may be compelled to share public data of its users, ET Tech report.

Data Privacy and Breaches

[Sep 2] Chinese face-swap app Zao faces backlash over user data protection, KrAsia report; Medianama report.
[Sep 2] Study finds Big Data eliminates confidentiality in court judgments, Swiss Info report.
[Sep 4] YouTube will pay $170 million to settle claims it violated child privacy laws, CNBC report; FTC Press Release.
[Sep 4] Facebook will now let people opt-out of its face recognition feature, Medianama report.
[Sep 4] Mental health websites in Europe found sharing user data for ads, Tech Crunch report.
[Sep 5] A huge database of Facebook users’ phone numbers found online, Tech Crunch report.
[Sep 5] Twitter has temporarily disabled tweet to SMS feature, Medianama report.
[Sep 6] Fake apps a trap to track your device and crucial data, ET Tech report.
[Sep 6] 419 million Facebook users phone numbers leaked online, ET Tech report; Medianama report.
[Sep 9] Community social media platform, LocalCircles, highlights data misuse worries, The Economic Times report.

Free Speech

[Sep 7] Freedom of expression is not absolute: PCI Chairman, The Hindu report.
[Sep 7] Chennai: Another IAS officer resign over ‘freedom of expression’, Deccan Chronicle report.
[Sep 8] Justice Deepak Gupta: Law on sedition needs to be toned down if not abolished, The Wire report.

Online Content Regulation

[Sep 3] Government plans certification for Netflix, Amazon Prime, Other OTT Platforms, Inc42 report.
[Sep 4] Why Justice for Rights went to court, asking for online content to be regulated, Medianama report.
[Sep 4] Youtube claims new hate speech policy working, removals up 5x, Medianama report.
[Sep 6] MeitY may relax norms on content monitoring for social media firms, ET Tech report; Inc42 report; Entrackr report.

E-Commerce

[Sep 4] Offline retailers accuse Amazon and Flipkart of deep discounting, predatory pricing and undercutting, Medianama report; Entrackr report.
[Sep 6] Companies rely on digital certification startups to foolproof customer identity, ET Tech report.

Digital Payments and FinTech

[Sep 3] A sweeping reset is in the works to bring India in line with fintech’s rise, The Economic Times report.
[Sep 3] Insurance and lending companies in agro sector should use drones to reduce credit an insurance risks: DEA’s report on fintech, Medianama report.
[Sep 3] Panel recommends regulating fintech startups, RBI extends KYC deadline for e-wallet companies, TechCircle report.
[Sep 4] NABARD can use AI and ML to create credit scoring registry: Finance Ministry report on FinTech, Medianama report.
[Sep 5] RBI denies action against Paytm Payments bank over PIL allegation, Entrackr report.
[Sep 5] UPI entities may face market share cap, ET Tech report.
[Sep 6] NBFC license makes fintech startups opt for lending, ET Tech report.
[Sep 9] Ease access to credit history: Fintech firms, ET Markets report.

Cryptocurrencies

[Sep 1] Facebook hires lobbyists to boost crypto-friendly regulations in Washington, Yahoo Finance report.
[Sep 2] US Congress urged to regulate crypto under Bank Secrecy Act, Coin Telegraph report.
[Sep 2] Indian exchanges innovate as calls for positive crypto regulation escalate, Bitcoin.com report.
[Sep 4] Marshall Islands official explains national crypto with fixed supply, Coin Telegraph report.
[Sep 5] Apple thinks cryptocurrency has “long-term potential”, Quartz report.
[Sep 5] NSA reportedly developing quantum-resistant ‘crypto’, Coin Desk report.
[Sep 6] Crypto stablecoins may face bottleneck, ET Markets report.

Cybersecurity

[Sep 3] Google’s Android suffers sustained attacks by anti-Ugihur hackers, Forbes report.
[Sep 4] Firefox will not block third-party tracking and cryptomining by default for all users, Medianama report.
[Sep 4] Insurance companies are fueling ransomware attacks, Defense One report.
[Sep 5] Firms facing shortage of skilled workforce in cybersecurity: Infosys Research, The Economic Times report.
[Sep 5] Cybersecurity a boardroom imperative in almost 50% of global firms: Survey, Outlook report; ANI report.
[Sep 5] DoD unveils new cybersecurity certification model for contractors, Federal News Network report.
[Sep 5] Jigsaw Academy launches cybersecurity certification programme in India, DQ India report.
[Sep 6] Indians lead the world as Facebook Big Bug Hunters, ET Tech report.
[Sep 6] Australia is getting a new cybersecurity strategy, ZD Net report.
[Sep 9] China’s 5G, industrial internet roll-outs to fuel more demand for cybersecurity, South China Morning Post report.

Tech and National Security

[Sep 3] Apache copters to be inducted today, The Pioneer report.
[Sep 3] How AI will predict Chinese and Russian moves in the Pacific, Defense One report.
[Sep 3] US testing autonomous border-patrol drones, Defense One report.
[Sep 3] Meet the coalition pushing for ‘Cyber Peace’ rules. Defense One report.
[Sep 4] US wargames to try out concepts for fighting China, Russia, defense One report.
[Sep 4] Southern Command hosts seminar on security challenges, Times of India report; The Indian Express report.
[Sep 4] Russia, already India’s biggest arms supplier, in line for more, Business Standard report.
[Sep 4] Pentagon, NSA prepare to train AI-powered cyber defenses, Defense One report.
[Sep 5] Cabinet clears procurement of Akash missile system at Rs. 5500 crore, Times Now report.
[Sep 5] India to go ahead with $3.1 billion US del for maritime patrol aircraft, The Economic Times report.
[Sep 5] DGCA certifies ‘small’ category drone for complying with ‘No-Permission, No-Takeoff’ protocol, Medianama report.
[Sep 5] India has never been aggressor but will not hesitate in using its strength to defend itseld: Rajnath Singh, The Economic Times report.
[Sep 5] Panel reviewing procurement policy framework to come out with new versions of DPP, DPM by March 2020, The Economic Times report; Business Standard report; Deccan Herald report.
[Sep 5] Russia proposes joint development of submarines with India, The Hindu report.
[Sep 7] Proud of you: India tells ISRO after contact lost with CHandrayaan-2 lander, India Today report.

Tech and Elections

[Sep 4] ECI asks social media firms to follow voluntary code of ethics ahead of state polls: report, Medianama report.
[Sep 6] Congress party to reorganise its data analytics department, Medianama report.
[Sep 5] Why the 2020 campaigns are still soft targets for hackers, Defense One report.
[Sep 5] Facebook meets with FBI to discuss election security, Bloomberg report.
[Sep 5] Facebook is making its own AI deepfakes to head off a disinformation disaster, MIT Tech Review report.

Internal Security: J&K

[Sep 4] Long convoy, intel failure: Multiple lapses led to Pulwama terror attack, finds CRPF inquiry, India Today report; Kashmir Media Service report; The Wire report.
[Sep 4] Extension of President’s Rule in Kashmir was not delayed, MHA says in report to SC lawyer’s article, Scroll.in report.
[Sep 6] Landline communication restored in Kashmir Valley: Report, Medianama report.
[Sep 7] Kashmir’s Shia areas face curbs, all Muharram processions banned, The Quint report.
[Sep 7] No question of army atrocities in Kashmir as it’s only fighting terrorists: NSA Ajit Doval, India Today report.
[Sep 8] More than 200 militants trying to cross into Kashmir from Pakistan: Ajit Doval, Money Control report.
[Sep 8] ‘Such unilateral actions are futile’, says India after Pakistan blocks airspace for President Kovind, Scroll.in report; NDTV report.

Internal Security: NRC

[Sep 2] Contradictory voices in Assam Congress son NRC: Tarun Gogoi slams it as waste paper, party MP says historic document, India Today report.
[Sep 3] Why Amit Shah is silent on NRC, India Today report.
[Sep 7] AFSPA extended for 6 months in Assam, Deccan Herald report.
[Sep 7] At RSS mega meet, concerns over Hindus being left out of NRC: Sources, Financial Express report.

National Security Institutions and Legislation

[Sep 5] Azhar, Saeed, Dawood declared terrorists under UAPA law, Deccan Herald report; The Economic Times report.
[Sep 8] Home Minister says India’s national security apparatus more robust than ever, Livemint report.
[Sep 8] Financial safety not national security reason for women to join BSF: Study, India Today report.

Telecom/5G

[Sep 6] Security is an issue in 5G: NCSC Pant on Huawei, Times of India report.

More on Huawei

[Sep 1] Huawei believes banning it from 5G will make countries insecure, ZD Net report.
[Sep 2] Huawei upbeat on AI strategy for India, no word on 5G roll-out plans yet, Business Standard report.
[Sep 3] Huawei denies US allegations of technology theft, NDTV Gadgets 260 report; Business Insider report; The Economic Times report.
[Sep 3] Shocking Huawei ‘Extortion and Cyberattack’ allegations in new US legal fight, Forbes report; Livemint report, BBC News report; The Verge report.
[Sep 3] Committed to providing the most advanced products: Huawei, ET Telecom report.
[Sep 4] Huawei says 5G rollout in India will be delayed by 3 years if it’s banned, Livemint report
[Sep 4] Trump not interested in talking Huawei with China, Tech Circle report.
[Sep 5] Nepal’s only billionaire enlists Huawei to transform country’s elections, Financial Times report.
[Sep 8] Trump gets shocking new Huawei warning – from Microsoft, Forbes report.

Emerging Tech

[Aug 30] Facebook is building an AI Assistant Inside Minecraft, Forbes report.
[Sep 3] AWS partners with IIT KGP for much needed push to India’s AI skilling, Inc42 report.
[Sep 3] Behind the Rise of China’s facial recognition giants, Wired report.
[Sep 4] Facebook won’t use facial recognition on you unless you tell it to, Quartz report.
[Sep 4] An AI app that turns you into a movie star has risked the privacy of millions, MIT Technology Review report.
[Sep 6] Police use f facial recognition is accepted by British Court, The New York Times report.
[Sep 6] Facebook, Microsoft announce challenge to detect deepfakes, Medianama report.
[Sep 6] Facial recognition tech to debut at Delhi airport’s T3 terminal; on ‘trial basis’ for next three months, Medianama report.

Internet Shutdowns

[Sep 3] After more than 10 weeks, internet services in towns of Rakhine and Chin restored, Medianama report.
[Sep 4] Bangladesh bans mobile phone services in Rohingya camps, Medianama report.

Opinions and Analyses

[Sep 2] Michael J Casey, Coin Desk, A crypto fix for a broken international monetary system.
[Sep 2] Yengkhom Jilangamba, News18 Opinion, Not a solution to immigration problem, NRC final list has only brought to surface fault lines within society.
[Sep 2] Samuel Bendett, Defense One, What Russian Chatbots Think About Us.
[Sep 2] Shivani Singh, Hindustan Times, India’s no first use policy is a legacy that must be preserved.
[Sep 3] Abir Roy, Financial Express, Why a comprehensive law is needed for data protection.
[Sep 3] Dhirendra Kumar, The Economic Times, Aadhaar is back for mutual fund investments.
[Sep 3] Ashley Feng, Defense One, Welcome to the new phase of US-China tech competition.
[Sep 3] Nesrine Malik, The Guardian, The myth of the free speech crisis.
[Sep 3] Tom Wheeler and David Simpson, Brookings Institution, Why 5G requires new approaches to cybersecurity.
[Sep 3] Karen Roby, Tech Republic, Why cybersecurity is a big problem for small businesses.
[Sep 4] Wendy McElroy, Bitcoin.com, Crypto needs less regulation, not more.
[Sep 4] Natascha Gerlack and Elisabeth Macher, Modaq.com, US CLOUD Act’s potential impact on the GDPR.
[Sep 4] Peter Kafka, Vox, The US Government isn’t ready to regulate the internet. Today’s Google fine shows why.
[Sep 5] Murtaza Bhatia, Firstpost, Effective cybersecurity can help in accelerating business transformation.
[Sep 5] MG Devasahayam, The Tribune, Looking into human rights violations by Army.
[Sep 5] James Hadley, Forbes, Cybersecurity Frameworks: Not just for bits and bytes, but flesh and blood too.
[Sep 5] MR Subramani, Swarajya Magazine, Question at heart of TN’s ‘WhatsApp traceability case’: Are you endangering national security if you don’t link your social media account with Aadhaar?
[ Sep 5] Justin Sherman, Wired, Cold War Analogies are Warping Tech Policy.
[Sep 6] Nishtha Gautam, The Quint, Peer pressure, militant threats enforcing civil curfew in Kashmir?
[Sep 6] Harsh V Pant and Kartik Bommakanti, Foreign Policy, Modi reimagines the Indian military.
[Sep 6] Shuman Rana, Business Standard, Free speech in the crosshairs.
[Sep 6] David Gokhshtein, Forbes, Thoughts on American Crypto Regulation: Considering the Pros and Cons.
[Sep 6] Krishan Pratap Singh, NDTV Opinion, How to read Modi Government’s stand on Kashmir.
[Sep 7] MK Bhadrakumar, Mainstream Weekly, The Big Five on Kashmir.
[Sep 7] Greg Ness, Security Boulevard, The Digital Cyber Security Paradox.
[Sep 8] Lt. Gen. DS Hoods, Times of India, Here’s how to take forward the national security strategy.
[Sep 8] Smita Aggarwal, Livemint, India’s unique public digital platforms to further inclusion, empowerment.

[August 12-19] CCG’s Week in Review: Curated News in Information Law and Policy

Posted on August 19, 2019 by Nidhi Singh

This week PM Modi called for the creation of a Chief of Defence staff in his Independence Day Speech; Internet and Communications Shutdown continue in Jammu and Kashmir after a brief reprieve amid fears of violence; Rajasthan faces Internet shutdowns in parts of Jaipur following communal clash; China’s new digital currency is almost up for launch; Maharashtra adopts wider use of blockchain technology – presenting this week’s most important developments in law and tech.

Internet Shutdown

[Aug 13] Jaipur: 24 people injured in communal clash, mobile internet suspended in some areas, Scroll report; Hindustan Times report.
[Aug 13] Internet services partially restored in Jammu & Kashmir: Report, Medianama report.
[Aug 17] Landline services partially restored in Valley, mobile internet back in 5 Jammu districts, Hindustan Times report.
[Aug 18] Mobile Internet services again snapped in Jammu region, The Times of India report.

Internal Security: Current Status of J&K

[Aug 18] Ex-defence officers and bureaucrats move SC against Centre’s decision on Article 370, The Economic Times report; The Quint report.
[Aug 18] The fear of losing land to outsiders grips Valley, The Tribune report.
[Aug 18] 4G internet services to be made operational only after assessing situation: Jammu Divisional Commissioner, ANI News report.
[Aug 18] Restrictions Reimposed in Srinagar After Protests, Clashes With Police, The Wire report; the Statesman report.
[Aug 18] About 4,000 people arrested in Kashmir since August 5: govt sources to AFP, The Hindu report.
[Aug 19] Schools Reopen In Kashmir But Few Children Show Up: 10 Points, NDTV report.
[Aug 19] Congress Leaders Deviate From Party Line on Article 370, Hail Centre’s Move in Kashmir, The Wire report.

Tech and National Security

[Aug 15] Independence Day 2019: Here are the highlights from PM Modi’s speech, Business Line report.
[Aug 15] Major push for military, infra in PM Modi’s I-Day speech: Key takeaways, Business Standard report.
[Aug 16] Explained: What is Chief of Defence Staff that PM Modi announced in I-Day speech, India Today report.
[Aug 17] Appointment of CDS will boost India’s national security and power projection capabilities, Economic Times report.

Aadhaar

[Aug 16] Amend existing laws so we can obtain and use people’s Aadhaar numbers for voter verification, says ECI to Law ministry, Medinama report.
[Aug 18] EC seeks legal backing to collect voters’ Aadhaar data to check duplication, Business Standard report.
[Aug 19] ‘Voluntary Aadhaar eKYC for bank accounts, mobile, MFs soon’, Times of India report.
[Aug 19] SC to consider Facebook’s Aadhaar plea on August 20, Deccan Herald report.

Digital India

[Aug 16] India’s battle to catch China in payment apps; country to become more digital, Livemint report.
[Aug 17] Top executives of Apple, Samsung, Xiaomi to meet government on August 19, Financial Express report.
[Aug 19] Lithuania can be important technology partner for India: Venkaiah Naidu, MoneyControl report.
[Aug 19] India to help Bhutan in digital payments, space technology, Hindustan Times report.

Cybersecurity

[Aug 13] NIST seeks industry feedback as Internet of Things cybersecurity standards take shape, Federal News Network report.
[Aug 14] Cybersecurity Startup Securiti.ai emerges from Stealth with $31 million Investment, ciscomag.com report.
[Aug 15] Kaspersky announces new Transparency Centre in Malaysia, Livemint report; Digital News Asia report.
[Aug 19] Cybersecurity leader Vectra establishes operations in Asia-Pacific to address growing demand for network detection and response in the cloud, Yahoo Finance report.

Emerging Technology

[Aug 14] Huawei starts research on 6G internet, Cnet report.
[Aug 14] Google’s soccer-playing A.I. hopes to master the world’s most popular sport, Digital Trends report.
[Aug 19] Three UK rolls out 5G home internet access in London, Engadget report.
[Aug 19] Cyber Security: Are IoT deployments in India safe from hackers?, Financial Express report.

Blockchain

[Aug 12] Reliance AGM: Mukesh Ambani backs blockchain technology; says data is wealth, Business Today report.
[Aug 19] Maharashtra to use blockchain technology in agriculture marketing, vehicle registration, DNA report; Cointelegraph report.

Cryptocurrency

[Aug 13] China says state Cryptocurrency set to rival Bitcoin is ‘Close’ to Launch, The Independent report.
[Aug 14] China’s Digital Currency Is Unlikely to Be a Cryptocurrency, Forbes report.
[Aug 14] IAMAI says RBI has no authority to ban cryptocurrencies, The Economic Times report.
[Aug 16] Chinese National Cryptocurrency Turns Out Not Being an Actual Crypto, Cointelegraph report.
[Aug 17] Cryptocurrency This Week: Supreme Court To Conclude Hearing Next Week, Bitcoin India Investigations And More, Inc42 report.
[Aug 17] Mastercard is assembling its own cryptocurrency team, New York Post report.
[Aug 18] Facebook’s Calibra cryptocurrency wallet already has competition, Cnet report.
[Aug 19] Silvergate Bank Plans to Offer Cryptocurrency-Collateralized Loans, Cointelegraph report.
[Aug 19] Binance planning to launch ‘Venus,’ similar to Facebook’s upcoming cryptocurrency Libra, Theblockcrypto.com report.

Huawei

[Aug 17] US set to give Huawei another 90 days to buy from American firms, Khaleej Times report.
[Aug 18] Trump To Suddenly Throw Lifeline To Huawei, Report Says, Saving Huawei Mate 30 Pro, Forbes report.
[Aug 18] Huawei to Trump: “You don’t want us to fight Google.”, EsquireME report.
[Aug 19] Trump: ‘I don’t want to do business with Huawei’, AlJazeera report.

Artificial Intelligence

[Aug 13] AI fights banana disease, Fruitnet.com report.
[Aug 13] TCS’ AI platform Ignio tops $60m revenue mark, The Economic Times report.
[Aug 14] Zensar Technologies places its bets on artificial intelligence, The Economic Times report.
[Aug 14] Ola ‘acquihires’ artificial intelligence start-up Pikup.ai, Financial Express report.
[Aug 14] Wipro launches edge artificial intelligence solutions powered by Intel, Dataquest report; Moneycontrol report.
[Aug 15] IT big 3 to offer artificial intelligence as a platform, The Economic Times report.
[Aug 15] Google Assistant tops 2019 digital assistance IQ test, but every AI posts gains, Venturebeat report.
[Aug 16] Google brings AI to studying with Socratic, ZDNet report.
[Aug 16] [Funding alert] AI startup Orbo.ai raises $1.6M from YourNest Ventures, Venture Catalysts, YourStory report.
[Aug 16] [Funding alert] Retail AI startup SprintAI raises $500,000 from InMobi co-founder, others, YourStory report.
[Aug 18] Small towns in India are powering the global race for artificial intelligence, The Economic Times report.
[Aug 18] New consortium aims to make Bengaluru hub for industrial AI, Livemint report.

Surveillance

[Aug 16] Data Leviathan: China’s Burgeoning Surveillance State, Human Rights Watch report.
[Aug 16] Uganda spends US$126 million on surveillance system with facial recognition from Huawei, South China Morning Post report.
[Aug 16] Trump administration reportedly wants to extend NSA phone surveillance program, Cnet report.
[Aug 17] White House is pushing to reauthorize law that allows surveillance on Americans’ phone records, salon.com report.

Data Privacy and Protection

[Aug 15] How Data Privacy Laws Can Fight Fake News, JustSecurity.org report.
[Aug 16] What The Great Hack tells us about data privacy, Livemint report.
[Aug 17] Facebook’s Bizarre Response To Privacy Scandals? New Pop-Up Cafés, Forbes report.
[Aug 18] Why Blockchain Technology is Important for Data Privacy, Bitcoinist.com report.

E-Commerce

[Aug 15] Alibaba results beat estimates on cloud, e-commerce growth, Economic Times report.
[Aug 16] E-commerce sector looks to self-regulate, Flipkart, Amazon not on board, CNBCTV 18 report.
[Aug 18] Fintech firm Suvidhaa plans e-commerce foray, Economic Times report.
[Aug 19] Why social e-commerce is set to become the next big thing in China, TechWire Asia report.
[Aug 19] China e-commerce sites block sales of protest gear to Hong Kong, The Japan Times report.

Opinions and Analyses

[Aug 13] Editorial, The Guardian, The Guardian view on surveillance: Big Brother is not the only watcher now.
[Aug 13] Anand Venkatanarayanan, Medianama, Dr Kamakoti’s solution for WhatsApp traceability without breaking encryption is erroneous and not feasible.
[Aug 14] Gladys Kong, Forbes, Why Stricter Data Privacy Laws Would Benefit The Data Industry.
[Aug 15] Tuhina Joshi and Vijayant Singh, Yourstory, Independence Day: When will India be free of data privacy issues?
[Aug 15] Shrija Agrawal, Livemint, ‘Cashless’ and the politics of innovation.
[Aug 15] Jeffrey Ton, Forbes, The Skeptic’s Guide To Assessing Artificial Intelligence.
[Aug 15] Matt Ocko and Alan Cohen, TechCrunch, Artificial intelligence can contribute to a safer world.
[Aug 15] Jaclyn Jaeger, Compliance Week, Data privacy vs. national security: Moving the conversation forward.
[Aug 15] Jinoy Jose P, Business Line, The Cheatsheet: How Internet shutdowns hurt the economy.
[Aug 15] Editorial, Hindustan Times, India’s tryst with freedom.
[Aug 16] Editorial, The Hindu, Words and deeds: On Modi’s I-Day vision.
[Aug 16] Editorial. The Indian Express, Injustice system.
[Aug 17] Guillermo M. Luz, The Inquirer, Apec’s new data privacy rules.
[Aug 17] Pravin Sawhney, The Tribune, Where does CDS fit in?
[Aug 18] Editorial, Hindustan Times, Fashioning India’s nuclear posture.
[Aug 18] Enrique Dans, Forbes, Will China’s New Cryptocurrency Make Virtual Cash Respectable?
[Aug 18] Stephanie Hare, The Guardian, Facial recognition is now rampant. The implications for our freedom are chilling.
[Aug 19] Thomas Hemphill, NWI Times, GUEST COMMENTARY: Artificial Intelligence and the antitrust challenges.
[Aug 19] Ravi Shankar Prasad, The Indian Express, Valley’s new dawn: An era of development and inclusion beckons.
[Aug 19] Ahmed Ali Fayyaz, The Quint, Massacre of J&K Laws and Constitution but No Blood on the Streets.

[July 1-July 8] CCG’s Week in Review: Curated News in Information Law and Policy

Posted on July 8, 2019 by Gunjan Chawla

The Union Budget for 2019-2020 brought with it a boost for using Aadhaar to file I-T returns amid escalating privacy concerns, but disappointed those hoping for larger allocations to modernisation of the armed forces. As the uncertainty over Huawei’s inclusion in 5G trials continues — presenting this week’s most important developments in law and tech.

Aadhaar

[July 4] Aadhaar bill seeking its use as ID to open bank account passes in Lok Sabha, India today report.
[July 4] UIDAI sets up first Aadhaar centres in Delhi and Vijayawada, to set up 114 more centres in 2019, Medianama report.
[July 5] Aadhaar ordinance: SC asks Centre, UIDAI to respond to writ petition, The Hindu report; The Economic Times report; Medianma report.
[July 6] Budget eases criteria of obtaining Aadhaar for NRIs with Indian passport, Business Standard report.
[July 6] Budget 2019 proposes to make PAN, Aadhaar interchangeable; soon you can file ITR using either of these, The Economic Times report.
[July 6] J&K Government approves Aadhaar linked payment mode for disbursal of pension, Business Standard report.
[July 7] Economic survey has based Aadhaar impact on MGNREGS on false assumptions, say researchers, The Hindu report.
[July 8] I-T to allot PAN to those filing returns only with Aadhaar, Live Mint report.

Internet Shutdowns

[July 2] India saw 11 internet shutdowns in June, 59 so far in 2019, Medianama report.
[July 4] Internet services in Jaipur set to resume today; parts of the city had been offline after rape of minor, Medianama report.
[July 4] Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp back after 8-hour outage that left users unable to upload photos, videos, Medianama report.
[July 5] Following communal violence, internet remains closed in Agra, India today report.

Free Speech

[July 3] Centre has no plans to scrap sedition law, Minister tells Rajya Sabha; The Hindu report.
[July 5] MDMK Chief vaiko convicted in sedition case, sentenced to one year imprisonment, The Hindu Business Line report.

Data Protection

[July 1] Data Protection Bill: MHA wants insulation for security agencies, The Tribune report.
[July 2] TikTok illegally collecting data received by China, claims Shashi Tharoor, News18 report.
[July 2] Tik Tok under investigation in the UK over children’s data use, The Guardian report.
[July 2] China’s new data protection scheme, The Diplomat report.
[July 3] Comprehensive legislation on data privacy under formulation: Ravi Shankar Prasad; The Economic Times report.
[July 4] Won’t allow abuse of Indian data by foreign powers or companies, says RS Prasad in Rajya Sabha , Medianama report.
[July 5] Govt needs to leverage data as public good to boost welfare of poor, Live Mint report.
[July 6] Economic Survey pushes for interlinking and selling citizens’ data for private purposes: Rethink Aadhaar, Money Life report.

Digital India

[July 4] Qualcomm India extends design challenge to MeitY supported startups, The Economic Times report.
[July 8] No incentive left for banks to push digital pay, fears fintech, ET Tech report.

Cryptocurrencies

[June 30] ‘Govt Screwed Us’ Crypto Startup Coin Recoil Founder Writes An Open Letter To PM. Inc42 report.
[July 2] Remaining crypto exchanges in India bet on global markets, ET Tech report.
[July 3] Bitcoin’s energy consumption ‘equals that of Switzerland’, BBC report.
[July 5] Indian authorities arrest 4 individuals accused of crypto ponzi scheme, Coin Telegraph report.
[July 5] US lawmakers tell Facebook to halt Libra as it risks undermining dollar and upending global financial system, Medianama report.
[July 7] New ECB boss Christine Lagarde made a serious Bitcoin warning, Forbes report.

Telecom/5G

[July 3] Samsung talks about its 5G solution, readiness to work with telecom operators in India, India Today report
[July 2] Samsung to ramp up Internet of Things business in India after 5G roll out, Times Now News reports

More on Huawei

[July 3] Despite Trump’s promised reprieve, Commerce Department tells staff to continue treating Huawei as blacklisted, Tech Crunch report.
[July 3] Indian companies supplying (US origin equipment) to Huawei may face US sanctions: Govt, The Economic Times report.
[July 4] Donald trump eases off Huawei as forms discover holes in his export ban, The Economist’s analysis.
[July 4] India to decide on Huawei participation in 5G trial based on security and economic interests, The Economic Times report.
[July 5] Huawei disputes US cyber firm’s findings of flaws in gear, The Wall Street Journal report.
[July 6] Huawei employees linked to China’s military and intelligence, reports claim, Forbes report.
[July 6] Huawei is helping all the UK’s top carriers build their 5G networks, Engadget report.

Cybersecurity

[July 2] Air travel needs cybersecurity, now tighter than ever, Financial Express report.
[July 3] New Zealand updates its cybersecurity strategy, ZDNet report.
[July 3] Tech Mahindra, SSH to deploy cutting edge cybersecurity solutions to secure access control for enterprises, Dataquest India report.
[July 3] 25 Central, State govt websites hacked till May this year: Ravi Shankar Prasad; The economic Times report.
[July 5] Getting up to speed with AI and Cybersecurity, Tech radar explainer.
[July 5] The Biggest Cybersecurity Crises of 2019 so far, The Wired report.
[July 6] New ransomware named Sodin exploits Windows flaw identified by cybersecurity firm Kaspersky, The Indian Wire report.

Cyberwarfare

[July 3] Suspected Iranian Cyber Attacks Show No sign of slowing, Defense One report.
[July 4] Report: Pentagon should assume US satellites are already hacked, Defense One report.

Surveillance/ Tech and Law Enforcement

[July 1] NSAB comes up with traceability to help Whatsapp, Economic Times report
[July 2] China snares tourists’ phones in surveillance dragnet by adding secret app, The New York Times report; Wired report; The Guardian report.

Tech and Military

[July 1] Indian Air Force orders Russian-made anti-tank missiles for USD 29 million, Jane’s Defence Weekly report.
[July 1] Modi govt spent Rs. 2.37 lakh crore on modernisation of armed forces in 4 years, Business Today report.
[July 2] India’s defence budget has nearly doubled in 5 years but the money is not enough to upgrade the weapons. Business Insider report.
[July 4] Funds shrinking, Army wants budget 2019 to make special allowance for GST, customs duties, The Print report.
[July 5] Budget 2019: Experts feel not much to change for armed forces, The New Indian Express report.
[July 5] 0.01% – The increase in defence allocation from interim budget as modernisation put on hold, News18 report.
[July 5] Budget 2019: Defence gets duty exemption on imports, no big allocation, say experts, Financial Express report; The Hindu report.
[July 5] India outlines progress in ‘Strategic Partner’ projects, Jane’s Defense Weekly report.
[July 5] Defence Ministry approves Army Headquarters restructuring plans: Gen Bipin Rawat, Business Standard report.
[July 6] Army, Nation e-Governance Division ink pact for developing revamped app, Money Control report.
[July 6] MBDA, French Army team develop AI based automatic target recognition by imaging system, Defense World report.
[July 7] Indian Army to buy American howitzer ammo for long-range accurate strikes, The Economic Times report.
[July 8] DRDO carries out three successful Nag tests in one day in Pokhran, The Economic Times report.

Opinions and Analyses

[July 1] Abhijit Kumar Dutta, Money Control, 5G test run: Is barring Huawei a good idea? Probably not.
[July 1] Maahi Mayuri, Mondaq News Alerts, India: Data Localisation: What’s in it for us?
[July 2] Allie Funk, Wired, I opted out of facial recognition at the airport – it wasn’t easy.
[July 3] Times of India editorial, Don’t hug Huawei: Beware of allowing Chinese firms entry into India’s 5G market.
[July 3] Amol Agarwal, Money Control, Facebook’s Libra currency – will it rewrite the crypto playbook?
[July 3] Harsh V Pant and Kartik Bommakanti, Observer Research Foundation, India’s national security challenge.
[July 3] Manas Chakravarty, Money Control, Why the US is targeting Huawei.
[July 3] India’s response to China’s cyber attacks, The Diplomat’s analysis.
[July 3] Rohan Venkatramakrishnan, Scroll.in, Where is the personal data protection that Indian were promised?
[July 3] Business Standard editorial comment, The crypto challenge. [paywall]
[July 5] Key tech related takeaways from Union Budget 2019-20, Medianama summary.
[July 5] Afiya Qureshi, Mashable India, Indian Government plans to monitor the internet through a centralized system: should we worry?
[July 5] Pravin Sawhney, The Wire, Defence Budget: Skewed ratio of allocations hurts India’s war preparedness.
[July 5] Debajit Sarkar, Financial Express, Budget 2019: There is a need to boost defense expenditure.
[July 6] Sounak Mukherjee, Money Control, TMC MP Mahua Moitra’s privacy concerns on Aadhaar stand tall against FM Nirmala Sitharaman’s Budget 2019 proposals,
[July 6] Ivan Mehta, The Next Web, India claims its Aadhaar push is for the ‘good’ of the people despite serious privacy concerns.
[July 6] Ilangovan Rajasekaran, Frontline, Conviction in sedition case will not affect Vaiko’s election to Rajya Sabha.
[July 7] Wired Opinion, How to protect our kids’ data and privacy.
[July 7] Sara Harrison, Wired, Twitter’s disinformation dumps are helpful – to a point.
[July 7] Lt. Gen. KJ Singh, Times of India (blog), Union Budget tells armed forces to cut the coat as per cloth.

[June 24-July 1] CCG’s Week in Review: Curated News in Information Law and Policy

Posted on July 1, 2019 by Gunjan Chawla

With the G20 Summit in Osaka easing trade tensions between the US and China, India has seen a week of developing policy positions on data localisation, tech startups and the fate of telecom providers — presenting this week’s most important developments in law and tech.

Aadhaar

[June 24] New Aadhaar regulations by Government to bring it back in full force, will be voluntary, India Today report.
[June 24] Aadhaar bill introduced amid opposition protests, The Hindu report; Live Mint report.
[June 25] Bill on Aadhaar tabled, ‘doesn’t violate privacy’, The Tribune report.
[June 29] One nation, One ration card’ scheme from July 1, 2020, The Hindu report.

Internet Shutdown

[June 28] Myanmar: Internet Shutdown Risks Lives, Human Rights Watch report.

Free Speech

[June 27] Modi Government stops advertising in The Times Group, The Hindu and The Telegraph news paper, PGurus report;
[June 28] Modi Government freezes ads placed in Times of India, The Hindu and The Telegraph, The Wire report; The Deccan Herald report.

Data Protection

[June 24] UAE data protection law, similar to GDPR, likely landing this year, Tech Radar report.
[June 27] Home, IT Ministries discuss data protection bill, The Hindu report.
[June 27] National Centre being planned to hold and manage all public data, The Economic Times report; The Quint report.

Data Localisation

[June 26] Data storage rules out of e-commerce policy, Live Mint report; CNBC TV18 report; Medianama report.
[June 26] Government to decide if data issues need to be out of e-commerce policy, The Economic Times report.
[June 27] Personal data storage: Government not in a mood to dilute data localisation rule, Financial Express report.
[June 28] India stands by data localisation at G-20 summit, US opposes it, ETtech report.
[June 28] Data Localisation: What India can dictate, and what she can’t, Business Today report.
[June 29] India surrenders to US pressure on ‘data localisation’: Piyush Goyal and RBI send out confusing signals, National Herald report.

E-Commerce

[June 26] Not ready for global e-tail rules, India to tell G-20, ET Tech report.
[June 26] India to come out with national e-comm policy within 12 months: Piyush Goyal, ETtech report.
[June 27] The E-Commerce disaster that never was, The Economic Times report.
[June 30] Draft e-comm policy, data protection may figure at India-EU meet in Brussels on July 4, Your Story report.

Digital India

[June 26] Digital literacy drive needs more funds: MeitY, The Hindu Business Line report.
[June 27] RBI Committee recommends setting up Universal Enterprise ID, linkage across individual and enterprise PAN, Medianama report.
[June 27] MeitY expenditure under Digital India at Rs. 3,328 cr in 2018-19: Ravi Shankar Prasad, The Economic Times report.
[June 27] SEBI approves DVRs for tech startups, ETtech report.
[June 28] Indian startups cheer differential voting rights, ETtech report.
[June 28] Nitin Gadkari proposed Alibaba like platform for MSME sector, Entrackr report.
[June 30] India’s OTT market will grow at 21.8% CAGR, PwC report says, ET Telecom report.

Cybersecurity

[June 25] Digital India’s response readiness against cyber attacks is frail, lack of online security awareness biggest weakness, Firstpost report.
[June 27] To avoid Huawei like situation, India plans desi WhatsApp for official communication ET Telecom report; Medianama’s take.
[June 28] Infosys cyber security unit sees rising demand as threats mount, ET Tech report.
[June 29] US FDA warns of cybersecurity risk to certain Medtronic insulin pumps. Live Mint report.
[June 29] Indian manufacturing industry at high cyber risk, The Asian Age report.
[June 29] Average DNS attack cost rises by 19% to $814,150 in APAC, ET Telecom report.
[July 1] As cyber attacks increase, Indian IT clients seek stricter contracts, more audits, ET Tech report.
[July 1] China increases cybersecurity industry development, Global Times report.

Telecom/5G

[June 24] DoT may move SC against Airtel, Tata Tele merger, The Economic Times report.
[June 26] Broadband forum seeks lower 5G spectrum prices, change in auction design, ET Telecom report.
[June 26] Government gets 6 proposals for 5G trials, including Huawei, The Economic Times report.
[June 27] Lack of 4G, staff costs slow down BSNL, MTNL, ET Telecom report.
[June 27] DoT, MeitY eye EU ‘toolbox’ to address 5G-related concerns, The Economic Times report.
[June 28] Telcos’ health needs to be vetted before 5G pricing, ET Tech report.
[June 28] Modi, Trump discuss India-US collaboration in 5G tech, ET Tech report.
[June 30] DoT will move cabinet with BSNL, MTNL package: Ravi Shankar Prasad, ET Telecom report.
[July 1] Ericsson, Nokia assure telcos of speedy 5G rollout, ET Telecom report.

More on Huawei

[June 24] Huawei offers to sign ‘no-backdoor’ pact with India govt, telcos to underline security commitment: CEO, The Economic Times report.
[June 24] UK’s approach to Huawei is flawed warns Ericsson’s US boss, Financial Times report.
[June 26] Nokia warns UK over using rival Huawei’s 5G kit, BBC report.
[June 26] Huawei claims 50 commercial 5G deals globally amid uncertainty in India, ET Telecom report.
[June 26] US-China trade war in 10 dates, ET Telecom report.
[June 26], Huawei’s telecom equipment is more likely to have flaws than rivals’ claims report by US cybersecurity company Finite State, Tech Radar report.
[June 26] India, US to discuss Huawei’s role in 5G trials, The Economic Times report.
[June 26] India may let Huawei conduct 5G trials defying trump ban, International Business Times report.
[June 27] Tech companies find legal ways around Huawei blacklist, ET Telecom report.
[June 27] Medianama’s Huawei roundup: Promise of ‘no backdoor’ pact, 5G trial proposal and more.
[June 27] Huawei personnel worked with China’s military on research projects, The Economic Times report.
[June 28] How the Huawei issue affects India, The Economic Times report.
[June 28] Nokia’s CTO slams Huawei after ‘potential backdoors’ found in 55% of its devices, Forbes report.
[June 29] Nokia distances itself from CTO comments about Huawei, Tech Radar report.
[June 28] As Trump and Xi talk trade. Huawei will loom large, The New York Times report.
[June 29] Trump surprises G20 with Huawei concession: US companies can sell to Huawei, Forbes report; Live Mint report.
[June 30] Huawei lifeline shows Trump prefers business deals over cold war, Live Mint report.
[July 1] Google gets nod to license Android for Huawei, ET Telecom report.

Big Tech

[June 26] Google accused of working to prevent Trump return in 2020, ET Tech report.
[June 26] Next Google Chrome browser extension to increase data protection, Mediapost report; Forbes report, Medianama report.
[June 26] Google and University of Chicago sued over data sharing, The New York Times report.
[June 28] Italy stings Facebook with $1.1 million fine for Cambridge Analytica data misuse, TechCrunch report.
[June 29] Google may have leveraged Android unfairly, says CCI, Inc42 report.
[June 30] Spotify leaking use data with music labels: Report, ET Telecom report.

Emerging Tech/ AI

[June 22] White House updated national artificial intelligence strategy, Defense One report.
[June 24] Tech Mahindra unveils AI-based Humanoid HR for its Noida facility, Business Standard report.
[June 25] IT firms are buying niche firms to grow in emerging areas like IOT, ET Tech report.
[June 27] Commission-appointed panel publishes recommendations for artificial intelligence research. Science business report. [Read the full report of the High Level Expert Group appointed by the European Commission here].

Cryptocurrencies

[June 26] Facebook’s crypto currency faces pre-G20 examination, Livemint report.
[June 27] Crypto exchange Koinex wraps up operations; laments apathy of regulators and banks, Entrackr report, ETtech report, Medianama report.

Tech and Law Enforcement

[June 25] Government surveillance at alarming levels: Forrester Global Map of Privacy Rights and Regulations, The Hindu Business Line report.
[June 28] Madras HC allows Internet freedom Foundation (IFF) to intervene to oppose plea for linking Aadhaar with social media accounts, Live Law report; Medianama report.
[June 29] Have social media companies helped TN Police combat cyber crimes? Affidavit in Madras HC has answers, Bar&Bench report
[June 30] Railway police mulls using Aadhaar to track unidentified victims, The Hindu report; Times of India report.
[June 30] War on fake news: Government to roll out guidelines for Google, Facebook, WhatsApp, ISPs, Financial Express report.

Tech and Military

[June 24] Indian MoD approves procurement of 10 more P-8I aircarft for Indian navy, Jane’s Defense weekly report.
[June 26] Russia wants to fool its enemies by making its drones look like owls (Uri style), Newsweek report.
[June 26] Tatas may soon join queue for drone clearance from DGCA, ET Tech report.
[June 26] 41 pieces of space debris from India’s asat test still in orbit, six weeks after they were supposed to decay according to Harvard astronomer, The Independent report.
[June 27] Defence minister to review services’ emergency weapon acquisitions for war preparedness, India Today report.
[June 27] India progresses import substitution projects under Make-II category, Jane’s Defence Weekly report.
[June 28] S-400 Triumf missile deal: India mulls Euro payments for Russian arms to escape US sanctions, Business Today report.
[June 28] Euro payment won’t end possibility of US sanctions on S-400 deal: Ex-Indian Defence Adviser, Sputnik International report.
[June 30] India signs Rs. 200 crore anti-tank missile deal with Russia, Live Mint report.

Opinions and Analyses

[June 23] Julian Vigo, Forbes, How cybersecurity is turning users into security experts.
[June 23] Nitin Pai, Live Mint, What it would take for India to become a proper space power,
[June 24] Satya Prakash, The Tribune, SC’s flip-flop on free speech.
[June 24] Tim Cushing, Tech Dirt (blog), Indian Government uses national security law, bad information to block twitter accounts all over the world.
[June 24] Michael Schmitt, Just Security (blog) Top Expert Backgrounder: Aborted US strike, cyber operations against Iran and International Law
[June 25] Rohan Choudhary, The Telegraph India, India’s strategic challenges in the near future will be naval, not continental
[June 25] Bryan Menegus, Gizmodo, This is how you’re being manipulated (by Big Tech)
[June 25] Prannv Dhawan and John Simte, Firstpost, Combating fake news: MEITY should allow legal-flexibility based on social media platforms over one-size-fits-all regulatory approach.
[June 25] Alon Muroch, Forbes, What’s preventing crypto from going mainstream?
[June 25] Geoffrey S Corn, Lawfare, The aborted Iran strike: the fine line between necessity and revenge,
[June 25] Justin Sherman and Robert Morgus, Lawfare, The Confused US messaging campaign on Huawei.
[June 25] Live Mint Opinion, Accept Huawei’s offer.
[June 26] Sujan R Chinoy, IDSA Comment, Indo-US Defence Partnership: Future prospects.
[June 26] Lt Gen (Retd) DS Hooda, News18, India’s New Defence Cyber Agency Will have to Work Around Stovepipes Built by Army, Navy and Airforce
[June 26] Goutam Das and Sonal Khetrapal, Business Today, Does the amended Aadhaar Bill circumvent Supreme Court’s order?
[June 26] Cameron F Kerry and Jon B Morris, The Brookings Institute, Why data ownership is the wrong approach to protecting privacy,
[June 27] Anirudh Rastogi and Ramani Ramachandran, ET Tech, RBI needs to overcome its fear of legitimate cryptocurrency usage
[June 27] Anrnab Dey, The Quint, What is India doing with all its big data?
[June 28] Samiksha Goel, Deccan Herald, 5G world will need new cybersecurity approach.
[June 28] Pravin Sawhney, The Wire, Nobody Should be surprised if this year’s defence budget hardly sees a boost.
[June 28] PK Vasudeva, The Statesman, A three-in-one position.
[June 28] Suhasini Haidar, The Hindu, At G20, India stands with developing world- not US, Japan- on 5G and data.
[June 29] Robert Farley, The Diplomat, Getting the world to comply with the US Huawei ban won’t be easy.
[June 28] Sidhant Kumar, The Economic Times (blog), Protection, or protectionist?
[June 29] Siddharth Sivaraman, The Sunday Guardian, Industrial development is a must for defence modernisation.
[June 30] Ephrat Livni, Quartz, Facebook’s Libra is spurring central banks’ interest in issuing crytpocurrency.
[June 30] Kamal Davar, The Sentinnel/ The Quint, Security Agenda for Modi 2.0: A national security doctrine
[June 30] Arpita Mukherjee, The Pioneer, India should join e-commerce talks at WTO.
[June 30] Keshav Murugesh, The Hindu Business Line, Getting to the Digital Summit.
[June 30] Shobha Gupta, Bar & Bench, Section 66A: When a celebrated judgment of the Supreme Court cannot be implemented by the police.
[June 30] Nishant Sirohi, The Leaflet, AI Technologies: Putting human rights in the forefront.
[June 30] Eline Chivot, Financial Times, One year on, GDPR needs a reality check.
[June 29] Robert D Atkinson, Information Technology and Innovation Foundation, Trump was right to (Temporarily) Lift the Huawei Export Ban.
[June 30] Samir Saran and Richard Rahul Verma, The Print, Here’s how US and India can be major defence partners and take lead over Russia and China.

E-Health, Digital India and Cyber (In)Security

Posted on December 18, 2015 by Shalini S

By Shalini S

Under the government’s flagship initiative, Digital India, healthcare has been flagged as a sector awaiting reformation through enabling digital access. Across the world, the internet has increasingly come to serve as a platform for organized public healthcare delivery and has also demonstrated its potential in effectively increasing access to timely, specialized medical care in remote areas. Both e-health and m-health, public health models that use information and communications technology (ICTs) for the provision of both healthcare services and information, have been employed extensively to support physical healthcare infrastructure in several countries and is now finding its way into the Indian public health framework.[1]

The health initiative under the project, attempts to transform healthcare from an event-based intervention to an integrated, continuous delivery model by employing ICTs to remedy information asymmetry and substandard access. The initiative is also expected to partially remedy healthcare access issues extant due to insufficient healthcare infrastructure and manpower. However, the use of ICTs exposes the sector to a range of unique challenges that must be dealt with in order to harness the potential of ICTs for the healthcare sector. This brief post seeks to outline the dangers of digitally storing and transmitting electronic health records and suggests strengthening security and risk management capability to avoid breaches.

E-health Initiative

The health limb of the Digital India project aims to increase access to quality healthcare for all citizens by enabling information flow, facilitating collaboration through the use of ICTs and providing timely, economic health services. It seeks to do so by increasing transparency in healthcare delivery, eliminating structural opacity and multiple intermediaries. Additionally, it envisions the use of emerging technology in bridging the healthcare divide by connecting patients with specialized health professionals, who are geographically far-removed, for online diagnosis. E-health programs are expected to benefit those that have little access to quality healthcare services such as the urban poor and rural populations.

Using hospital management information systems (HMIS), healthcare delivery limb of the Digital India Initiative’s online registration system (ORS) rightly attempts to simplify registration and appointment process. However, each new registrant is assigned a Unique Health Identification (UHID) number which is linked to their Aadhaar number used primarily to seek appointments at registered hospitals and subsequently to access their health records including lab reports. Under the initiative patient’s health records are digitized and uploaded electronically in order to better maintain records and make it easily accessible to health professionals. Further, these health records are to be integrated into a digital locker that can be accessed both by the government and private establishments.

As a part of the above-mentioned Digital India program, the Government of India also proposed to setup a National eHealth Authority (NeHA) under which a “centralized electronic healthcare record repository” containing comprehensive health information of all citizens could be fashioned.[2] While this proposed statutory authority will be vested with the responsibility of managing the complexities birthed by use of ICTs in the healthcare sector and also act as a regulatory authority to ensure privacy, confidentiality and security of patient information, it is yet to be created. In the absence of demonstrable, technical cybersecurity capability and regulatory or legislative cybersecurity framework, this statutory body might remain an insufficient effort. Further, the implementation of privacy and security norms evolved by NeHA by healthcare providers could take years and sensitive patient information might be stolen by persons who stand to benefit from the use or sale of such personal information.

Sensitivity of health records

Healthcare records are primarily attractive to criminals as they contain personally identifiable information and are therefore highly vulnerable. In addition to threat of stolen health data being misused in multiple ways, health records stored and transmitted online can be tampered with and this can have implications on patient health. With the E-health initiative, this holds especially true as the Aadhaar linkage connects health records to other personal information. The proposed healthcare record repository must also address these concerns. Hosting of personal information, especially healthcare records on any internet-based platforms without adequate cybersecurity measures in place is an invitation for large-scale breach.

Why digitize health records and information

Public health has arguably been raised as a national security priority and a centralized information database will undoubtedly be a prodigious healthcare intelligence tool that will allow researchers to engage in disease surveillance in order to better understand the state of public health in any nation. This information is critical to the medical fraternity and policymakers in ensuring medical preparedness and developing prevention and responsive capabilities.

Independently, most private healthcare providers have already made the move to digitizing health records that contain sensitive patient data and storing them electronically on often poorly-secured hospital networks, fueling pertinent privacy and security concerns. These health information systems are designed to host big data in a highly accessible manner in order to leverage speedy access to patient information for newer modalities of treatment that are time and cost effective.[3]

While the potential of information technology in radically transforming healthcare is indisputable, protecting healthcare data against misuse, without impeding healthcare professionals’ access to patient information, remains the biggest security concern.

Way forward

While it might not be necessary to view cybersecurity in healthcare delivery as a novel issue, patient information must be recognized as sensitive information that needs to be protected from breaches. Thus, the overarching Digital India initiative must necessarily account for vulnerabilities in digitally storing healthcare records and develop risk management capabilities as a part of its existing governance. Further, as the healthcare initiative under Digital India hinges on collaboratively partnering with private healthcare providers to bridge the gap in access to advanced medical technology and specialized care, a minimum standard of cybersecurity must be mandated to be followed by all participating private healthcare providers to prevent localized breaches.

[1] Sanjeev Davey & Anuradha Davey, m-Health- Can IT improve Indian Public Health System, 4 National Journal of Community Medicine (2013), http://njcmindia.org/uploads/4-3_545-549.pdf.

[2] The Indian Express, Digital India programme: Govt mulls setting up eHealth Authority, 2015, http://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-others/digital-india-programme-govt-mulls-setting-up-ehealth-authority/ (last visited Nov 7, 2015).

[3] How technology is changing the face of Indian Healthcare, The Economic Times, 2014, http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2014-04-02/news/48801172_1_indian-healthcare-collaborative-data-exchange-healthcare-information-technology-market (last visited Nov 7, 2015).

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E-Health, Digital India and Cyber (In)Security

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