SFLC.in

Articles by SFLC.in

Report: Internet shutdowns in India 2022

The year 2022 has seen 75 incidents of internet shutdowns in India, according to a report by SFLC.in. The negative impact includes the flagrant infringement of fundamental rights and restricted access to essential services.

India: SFLC.in asks Haryana government to reconsider internet shutdown

The Haryana government in India ordered the suspension of internet services in the five districts of the state, in response to ongoing farmers’ protests.

Members of the Indian Youth Congress stage a protest following media reports on the use of Pegasus spyware, near the Parliament in New Delhi, 20 July 2021, Mohd Zakir/Hindustan Times via Getty Images

Anatomy of the Pegasus spyware in India

SFLC.in chronicles the recent history of surveillance operations in India and its link to the Pegasus spyware issue. It asks the Indian government to clarify the relationship between security agencies and the Israeli NSO group.

A man wearing a face mask as a precaution against the spread of COVID-19 uses his mobile phone as he walks past a mural, in Maharashtra, India, 21 January 2021, Ashish Vaishnav/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

How is free speech being curtailed during the pandemic by the Indian government?

SFLC.in identifies cases and trends of how censorship was carried out in India during the pandemic.

A woman uses her cellphone in Srinagar, 6 February 2021; at that time the Indian government restored high speed 4G internet services in Jammu and Kashmir after 18 months, Faisal Khan/NurPhoto

Jammu and Kashmir authorities urged not to impose internet shutdowns during pandemic

SFLC.in wrote a letter to the Jammu and Kashmir administration urging them to not impose an internet shutdown while India is in the middle of a deadly second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, since citizens need up to date and reliable health information.

Civil society groups urge government to restore high-speed internet in Jammu and Kashmir

The letter signed by 27 groups, including several IFEX members, emphasized that the communication restrictions have already caused immense damage to the citizens of Jammu and Kashmir.

Mandatory use of Aarogya Setu COVID-19 contact tracing app could worsen digital exclusion in India

SFLC.IN warns that the app collects personal information, some of which is sensitive personal data such as a person’s gender and travel history. The app claims to protect users but makes no guarantee how this will be made possible.

India: Concerns over privacy of citizens in the wake of COVID-19 pandemic

SFLC.IN, several civil society groups, and concerned citizens have sent a letter to the government urging the protection of personal data of individuals in the implementation of health measures during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.