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privacy

31 May 2019

We are committed to protecting your privacy and we will do what we reasonably can to protect the identity and private details of all users on this site.

05 September 2018

Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas associate and NLSIU Bangalore 2015 graduate Tarun Krishnakumar has been selected as one of Mozilla’s latest batch of 26 global fellows in “openness, science and tech policy”, spending up to a year “creating a more secure, inclusive and decentralised internet”, according to an announcement from the non-profit organisation most famous for open source initiatives such as the Mozilla Firefox browser.

17 January 2018

The final hearings in the challenges against the beleaguered Aadhaar scheme have begun before a five-judge Supreme Court constitution bench, with petitioners again commencing their attacks against the pseudo-compulsory ID card scheme.

Attacks included charges that Aadhaar would "terrorise citizens", leading to a "totalitarian regime", would be the death of civil rights, and exhibited a lack of consent in giving up of biometrics.

The Digital Lenders Association of India also sought to be impleaded in the case, to argue in support the Aadhaar scheme.

The final hearings in the challenges against the beleaguered Aadhaar scheme have begun before a five-judge Supreme Court constitution bench, with petitioners again commencing their attacks against the pseudo-compulsory ID card scheme.

Attacks included charges that Aadhaar would "terrorise citizens", leading to a "totalitarian regime", would be the death of civil rights, and exhibited a lack of consent in giving up of biometrics.

The Digital Lenders Association of India also sought to be impleaded in the case, to argue in support the Aadhaar scheme.

The Hindu reported:

Key takeaways from arguments on pleas challenging Aadhaar Act

A five judge Constitution Bench led by CJI Dipak Misra on Wednesday took up all Aadhaar related petitions. A series of public interest cases, led by a batch of 27 petitions challenging the Aadhaar scheme are being heard back-to-back.

On the first day, senior advocate Shyam Divan began the argument with an overview of his submissions for petitioners challenging the Aadhaar. He said the issue is complicated and the Supreme Court will have to get ready for a long haul.

Whether Aadhaar is violative of the abiding values of the Constitution and does it precipitates a future where the all-intrusive State does not recognise an individual but a number? This was the basis of Mr. Divan's argument.

Read more...

08 August 2017

Female students of NUJS Kolkata have alleged being harassed, including sexually, on campus by male staff who also have access to video footage of them through Close Circuit Television Cameras (CCTV) that had been installed by the administration.

16 May 2017

NUJS Kolkata has installed CCTV cameras throughout its campus, though the the law school’s vice chancellor (VC) and registrar could not confirm the exact number or cost of the measure.

07 October 2015

Heated exchanges were witnessed in Court No 6 of the Supreme Court between 2 and 4 pm in the hearing of the case of Nagrik chetna manch vs UOI The attorney general, Mukul Rohatgi, who argued in favour of modification of the Court’s 11 August order clashed with SA Shyam Divan, who represented the petitioners in the main case, and opposed the modification plea.

19 September 2015

Opponents of the Aadhaar scheme have stepped up their campaign to expose instances of contempt of court in the Aadhaar case, which is pending for a resolution by the yet-to-be constituted Supreme Court’s Constitution bench.

15 August 2015

[https://firstlook.org/theintercept/2015/08/11/surveillance-philosopher-nsa The Intercept wrote a compelling investigation in *What Happens When a Failed Writer Becomes a Loyal Spy?*, based on the Edward Snowden NSA leaks, about modern-day privacy and its implications told through the lens of finding the identity of the NSA's in-house philosopher:

“I found myself wishing that my life would be constantly and completely monitored,” he continued. “It might seem odd that a self-professed libertarian would wish an Orwellian dystopia on himself, but here was my rationale: If people knew a few things about me, I might seem suspicious. But if people knew everything about me, they’d see they had nothing to fear. This is the attitude I have brought to SIGINT work since then.

”When intelligence officials justify surveillance, they tend to use the stilted language of national security, and we typically hear only from senior officials who stick to their platitudes. It is rare for mid-level experts — the ones conducting the actual surveillance — to frankly explain what they do and why. And in this case, the candid confessions come from the NSA’s own surveillance philosopher. The columns answer a sociological curiosity: How does working at an intelligence agency turn a privacy hawk into a prophet of eavesdropping?

15 October 2014

via @aparatbar on Twitter: Disposal within three days of filingThe Gujarat high court on Friday quashed a public commission formed to probe allegations of snooping on a woman, while ruling that the commission was not in the public interest, reported the Indian Express and others.

06 May 2014

The alleged victim of snooping by the Gujarat government has approached Supreme Court justices Ranjana Prakash Desai and NV Ramana with her father to restrain the central and state governments from launching an inquiry into the alleged abuse of surveillance powers, claiming that any probe would be violation of their Constitutional right to private life.

In their petition they pleaded: "The constitution of commission by the state government is wholly unwarranted and unjustified. The attempt being made by the central government to constitute a similar commission which would necessarily infringe upon and encroach upon right to privacy of the petitioners and their family which would clearly be unwarranted and unjustified and would be violative of the fundamental rights of the petitioners and their family members as guaranteed under Article 21 of the constitution...

"Such sinister campaign by vested groups under the guise protecting the privacy of petitioners has resulted into tarnishing the reputation and infringing upon the petitioners and their family members right to privacy, causing them immense anguish and suffering." [PTI]

27 August 2013

Food bill secured: The Food Security Bill - opposed in part over the alleged cost of providing food to 82 crore Indians - was yesterday passed in the Lok Sabha by voice vote [Zee News/India Today]

Eminent BCI members? Bar councils stood a “good chance” of being nominated under the ‘eminent persons category’ in the Judicial Appointments Commission reported the [TOI], as the Bar Council of India (BCI) asked about the meaning of eminent persons [Hindu]

Facebook red-faced, settles for $20m in California privacy law suit over showcasing faces of friends who liked ‘sponsored stoy’ ads [Reuters]

21 August 2013

The 63-point letter by solicitors Bindmans LLP, republished by The Guardian, seeks a declaration that the detention at Heathrow airport of David Miranda – the cohabiting partner of journalist Glenn Greewald who has been covering US and UK security services’ online spying operations – was unlawful.

The lawyers have also asked for an immediate undertaking to return Miranda’s electronic equipment that was seized during the search carried out under anti-terrorism legislation. [Guardian]

The Guardian’s editor, which has been breaking the majority of electronic interception stories leaked by National Security Agency (NSA) whistleblower Edward Snowden, wrote yesterday that the UK security services bullied the newspaper with prior restraint into destroying electronic equipment contained a copy of leaked files.

04 July 2013

India sides with Obama: Salman Khursheed, former law minister, defends US spies’ electronic snooping, saying it’s not “snooping” and “only computer analysis of patterns of calls and e-mails sent”. Minister gets slammed by rivals [Hindu]

Niche education: Law colleges have increasingly started offering ‘niche courses’ such as nuclear, space, business, cyber crime and other laws, reports [Business Standard]

Rape trial access: Foreign correspondents petition Delhi high court to cover Delhi gang rape trial day-to-day [Deccan Chronicle]

Destressed Nalsar: An Andhra Pradesh HC bench told the University Grants Commission (UGC) to examine proposals made by Nalsar Hyderabad’s nine-member committee to reduce stress and suicides of students [New Indian Express]

Dominant ratings: The Competition Commission of India (CCI) is to probe whether TV rating agency TAM Media Research has abused its dominant position [Times of India]

Bombay in Tamil: Bombay HC allows litigant, who doesn’t speak Hindi, to depose in Tamil [Business Standard]

Rape compensation PIL: Bombay HC to hear PIL proposing to set up fund to compensate victims of sexual violence [Times of India]

Judges’ busy hols: Delhi high court rejects PIL asking for a reduction in judges’ holidays, arguing that “most judges spend a substantial part of vacation time in writing the judgments” [WSJ] A similar petition was also filed in Chennai in May

Pro-India DOMA: The US’ pro-gay-rights Supreme Court verdict may be a boon for Indian jurisprudence [Mint]

26 June 2013

No say on NSA: The Supreme Court today asked Ex-Delhi University law professor SN Singh to bring evidence on Friday (28 June) of violation of fundamental rights of internet users. His PIL alleges that nine US-based internet companies in India are sharing user data with the National Security Agency (NSA) without the consent of Indian users. The bench said: “Our jurisdiction is not over the entire world. American people and government is not covered under Article 21.” [PTI]

Indo-Bangla judicial overreach: The Bangladesh Supreme Court’s most senior judge, Surendra Kumar Sinha, impressed with India’s state and national judicial academies for lower and higher judiciary, asked for Indian judges’ assistance in training his country’s quota-bridled judiciary [TOI]

Dodging PILs: Karnataka high court imposed a total cost of Rs 75,000 on three different advocates who had brought their own public interest litigations (PIL), dimissing their PILs saying that “this will not bring them any credibility” [Deccan Herald]

Can be jailed: Mumbai Sessions Judge, U B Hejib rejected Bollywood actor Salman Khan’s plea against a Bandra Magistrate Court’s order that had enhanced the charges levelled against him in his 11-year old rash driving case. Khan will now be tried under Section 304 (ii) for culpable homicide and could be sentenced to 10 years jail [DNA]

Social media GCs: Facebook general counsel Ted Ullyot and Twitter legal director Nicole Wong are on their way out of the two social media websites. Facebook has promoted deputy general counsel Colin Stretch to the position, while Wong is joining the White House to advise on internet and privacy policies [Global Legal Post/GLP]

Women-centric Karnataka courts: The Karnataka government will soon set up 10 special courts exclusively to try cases relating to atrocities and crimes against women, according to state home minister KJ George’s Tuesday announcement [Deccan Herald]

19 June 2013

Nalsar tops India Today: Nalsar Hyderabad displaced NLSIU Bangalore at first place in India’s top 25 law colleges this year according to India Today. NLSIU, Delhi University, NUJS Kolkata, NLIU Bhopal, GNLU Gandhinanar, Symbiosis Pune, NLU Jodhpur, ILS Pune, AMU Aligarh, BHU Varanai and Amity Law School Delhi follow Nalsar, in that order. [Rankings via India Today] Legally India has reduced coverage of third party law school rankings since last year.

Sweeping marriages: As social media buzz continued about the Madras HC maintenance order on sex and marriages, former Madras HC judge K Chandru “warns against the tendency to make sweeping statements in family matters”, saying that the Justice CS Karnan’s judgment reported yesterday is likely to be “misunderstood” by subordinate courts, which might force people into relationships merely because they have had sexual intercourse. [Times of India] Karnan, in turn, today defended the judgment, saying it was misunderstood, and “not only for the purpose of giving relief to the victim woman, but also to maintain the cultural integrity of India” [Hindu]

Suicidal state of affairs: “Treating a person who is driven to take such a drastic step as a hard-core criminal violates basic human dignity in a way few other actions do,” argues psychiatrist Dr Ashoka Jahnavi Prasad about the law criminalising suicide attempts. He says that India should follow the example of 59 countries who have decriminalised attempted suicide. [Newslaundry]

Anti-PRISM PIL: Ex-Delhi University law prof, Professor SN Singh, files PIL to stop government using US internet companies’ services, and prays for government to take action against for breach of privacy, after US internet companies were revealed to have shared data of non-US citizens with US spies in leaked top secret documents [PTI]