Category: Regulation

Data Protection: Consumer Perspectives at Facebook Design Jam

Posted on by Tech Law Forum NALSAR

[Ed Note: This post is the first in a series of posts by members of TLF who attended the Facebook Design Jam in Hyderabad on 10 July 2019. It has been authored by Namratha Murugeshan, a final year student at NALSAR University of Law and member of TLF.]

Members of TLF’s Organizing Committee were invited to attend Facebook’s Data Awareness Design Jam on the 10th of July 2019. A Design Jam is an event that provides a platform for start-ups and designers to pitch and improve their products. They are typically very interactive and informative sessions that help the participants gain new perspectives about their products and learn more about compliance with law and policy. Likewise, Facebook’s event too was an excellent opportunity for us to interact with start-ups, professionals, policymakers, designers and surprisingly, quite a few lawyers too. A key takeaway for the TLF members present at the event was gaining knowledge about the consumer perspectives surrounding data protection in India. A panel discussion on the same topic was organized at the Jam. The speakers included Smriti Parsheera from NIPFP (National Institute of Public Finance and Policy), Shagufta Gupta from CUTS (Consumer Unity & Trust Society) and Prerak Mehta from Dalberg Global Development Advisors. This post is a brief on the panel discussion.

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Perils of PUBG Ban in India & the Enemies Ahead

Posted on by Tech Law Forum @ NALSAR

[Ed Note: The following post has been authored by Anirudh Vijay, a fourth year student of B.A. LL.B. (Hons.) at Faculty of Law, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi. In an engaging read, Vijay talks about how the Gujarat government’s decision to ban popular game PUBG is problematic, and provides recommendations in this regard. Read to find out more!]

Introduction

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Mackinnon’s “Consent of The Networked” Deconstruction (Part III)

Posted on by Prateek Surisetti

SERIES INTRODUCTION

Rebecca MacKinnon’s “Consent of the Networked: The Worldwide Struggle for Internet Freedom” is an interesting read on free speech, on the internet, in the context of a world where corporations are challenging the sovereignty of governments. Having read the book, I will be familiarizing readers with some of the themes and ideas discussed in MacKinnon’s work.

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Mackinnon’s “Consent of The Networked” Deconstruction (Part II)

Posted on by Prateek Surisetti

SERIES INTRODUCTION

Rebecca MacKinnon’s “Consent of the Networked: The Worldwide Struggle for Internet Freedom” is an interesting read on free speech, on the internet, in the context of a world where corporations are challenging the sovereignty of governments. Having read the book, I will be familiarizing readers with some of the themes and ideas discussed in MacKinnon’s work.

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Continued Use of Section 66A of the Information Technology Act 2000

Posted on by Tanvi Apte

The “Existence” of a Non-Existent Law and the Broader Issues it Raises

The Information Technology Act 2000 (hereinafter referred to as the “IT Act”), India’s nodal law on regulation of information technology, was significantly amended in 2008 in order to plug certain loopholes in the original Act as well as accommodate further technological development within its legal framework. Among other things, this 2008 amendment to the Act introduced Section 66A, which essentially made sharing of “grossly offensive”, “insulting” or “menacing” information (Read: criticism of political parties) through electronic media a criminal offence.

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Conundrum of Right to Be Forgotten: An Analysis of The Slippery Slope: To Forgive, Forget or Re-Write History

Posted on by Tech Law Forum @ NALSAR

[Ed Note : In a slightly longer read, Pranay Bhattacharya, a second year student of Maharashtra National Law University (MNLU) Aurangabad talks about the origins and development of the “Right to be Forgotten,”, using this as a background to critically analyze this right as present in India’s Draft Personal Data Protection Bill 2018.]

“Blessed are the forgetful, for they get the better even of their blunders.”

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The Indo-Us Solar Panel Dispute and The Glaring Lack of a WTO Framework To Address Environmental Concerns

Posted on by Prateek Surisetti

INTRODUCTION

In the 2016 Indo-US dispute pertaining to Indian schemes relating to solar cells and solar modules (WT/DS456/AB/R), the WTO Appellate Body ruled against India for favouring domestically sourced solar panels and solar cleaning over international panels, despite India raising issues relating to energy security and the environment.

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The Dark Web : To Regulate Or Not Regulate, That Is The Question.

Posted on by Shweta Rao

[Ed Note : In an interesting read, Shweta Rao of NALSAR University of Law brings us upto speed on the debate regarding regulation of the mysterious “dark web” and provides us with a possible way to proceed as far as this hidden part of the web is concerned. ]

Human Traffickers, Whistleblowers, Pedophiles, Journalists and Lonely-Hearts Chat-room participants all find a home on the Dark Web, the underbelly of the World Wide Web that is inaccessible to the ordinary netizen.  The Dark Web is a small fraction of the Deep Web, a term it is often confused with, but the distinction between the two is important.

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