# Internet Rules Workshop 2025: Understanding digital rights & policies in South Asia

# 🦋 Workshop overview



# Agenda

<span style="color: #000000;">**UTC Converter: Please click <span style="color: #0000ff;">[this link](https://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/converter.html?iso=20251124T041500&p1=1440&p2=tz_bst-bangladesh&p3=389&p4=tz_aft&p5=tz_npt&p6=tz_pkt&p7=tz_ist)</span> to check your local time.**</span>

[![Internet Rules - Agenda SA.png](https://wiki.asia.apc.org/uploads/images/gallery/2025-11/scaled-1680-/internet-rules-agenda-sa.png)](https://wiki.asia.apc.org/uploads/images/gallery/2025-11/internet-rules-agenda-sa.png)

# Zoom link to workshop and instructions to use zoom

#### Our Zoom space

<span style="color: #ff6600;">**Our workshop will take place at: <span style="color: #0000ff;">[https://apc-org.zoom.us/j/89259454824](https://apc-org.zoom.us/j/89259454824)</span>**</span>

- - - - - -

#### Tips for participation in Zoom sessions

- **Update your [<u>Zoom client</u>](https://zoom.us/download#client_4meeting)** to the latest version. The zoom app takes 5 minutes to install, so please set it up before the sessions.
- Please **join the sessions before they start (we have 60 minutes for that)**, so we can assist you if you experience any issue.
- Please **use your real name or nickname,** so we can know who you are and let you in. You can **change your name after you have joined**.
- **Please use headphones with microphone rather bluetooth headphones where possible.**
- **Please mute your microphone** when entering a session and **unmute only when you want to speak**.
- If you **need a break** during the sessions, **take it**.

#### How to use zoom

Join the workshop session by opening [the link](https://apc-org.zoom.us/j/88118144206) in your browser, a client or an app. You will be redirected to the correct zoom room with the waiting room. When the host will adds you to the meeting you will be able to see the main screen.

![zoom-main-window-.png](https://wiki.convening.apc.org/uploads/images/gallery/2020-10/scaled-1680-/zoom-main-window-.png)

#### Configure Audio

If your audio is not working, please **check your settings**.

For **Audio** click on the **up arrow next to Unmute/Mute button** and check if your Microphone and Speaker have been correctly configured.

![zoom-audio-settings-button.png](https://wiki.convening.apc.org/uploads/images/gallery/2020-10/scaled-1680-/zoom-audio-settings-button.png)

To test Speaker and Microphone click on Audio Settings in the same menu and click on the link Test Speaker and Microphone.

![bbb-audio-test.png](https://wiki.convening.apc.org/uploads/images/gallery/2020-10/scaled-1680-/bbb-audio-test.png)

In the window that opens you can Test the Speaker and Microphone and select the volume.

![zoom-audio-settings.png](https://wiki.convening.apc.org/uploads/images/gallery/2020-10/scaled-1680-/zoom-audio-settings.png)

#### Configure Video

If your video is not working when you click Start Video, please **check your settings**.

Click on the up arrow next to Start Video and see if Camera is selected.

[![zoom-video-sharing-button.png](https://wiki.convening.apc.org/uploads/images/gallery/2020-10/scaled-1680-/zoom-video-sharing-button.png)](https://wiki.convening.apc.org/uploads/images/gallery/2020-10/zoom-video-sharing-button.png)

If you would like to examine settings in more detail, click on the last option **Video Settings...** and the following window will open.

[![zoom-video-settings.png](https://wiki.convening.apc.org/uploads/images/gallery/2020-10/scaled-1680-/zoom-video-settings.png)](https://wiki.convening.apc.org/uploads/images/gallery/2020-10/zoom-video-settings.png)

Here you can define how your video should be presented and we recommend you select the option **Hide Non-video Participants** so that you will be able to see only the videos of participants who have their cameras enabled.

#### Chat

Zoom enables you to participate in **public chat** and also s**end private messages** to specific participants. To send a private message select the participant in the dropdown field which is by default set to Everyone (for public chat).

![zoom-chat.png](https://wiki.convening.apc.org/uploads/images/gallery/2020-10/scaled-1680-/zoom-chat.png)

#### Share screen...

If you need to share screen, portion of the screen, computer audio or 2nd camera you can do that by clicking on a green icon Share screen and select the window, program, computer sound or 2nd camera in Basic or Advanced tabs.

![zoom-share-screen.png](https://wiki.convening.apc.org/uploads/images/gallery/2020-10/scaled-1680-/zoom-share-screen.png)

![zoom-select-a-window.png](https://wiki.convening.apc.org/uploads/images/gallery/2020-10/scaled-1680-/zoom-select-a-window.png)

<p class="callout info">If you select the wrong window you can always stop sharing and then start sharing the intended one.</p>

# Organisers' contact details

<p class="callout info">**The team can be reached at <asia-sej@apc.org>**</p>

# 🐬 Workshop Sessions



# Day 1 Session 1: Introduction to ICT landscape and frameworks

**Time: 5:00 UTC - 6:30 UTC**

<span style="font-weight: 400;">**Objective:** This session invites participants to explore the regional ICT and digital rights landscape, develop an understanding of key frameworks and structures, and examine the powers and processes that create them. It will also help participants to identify the structures of governance and regulation, as well as recognise the opportunities and challenges that arise across different sectors and countries in South Asia as a result of these regulations. </span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">**Session plan:**</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">The session will aim to cover questions such as:</span>

- <span style="font-weight: 400;">What are the national and international structures that shape ICT policy and digital rights (standards, treaties, laws, policies)?;</span>
- <span style="font-weight: 400;">What have been the kinds of laws passed in South Asia in relation to ICTs?</span>
- <span style="font-weight: 400;">Who are the key stakeholders in ICT governance? What roles do they play in decision making?</span>
- <span style="font-weight: 400;">What has been the impact of ICT policies in South Asia on human rights? </span>
- <span style="font-weight: 400;">What is a rights-based approach to ICT policy-making? Why is it important?</span>

*\*Reading materials are hyperlinked, please click the text to access*

#### **Reading Materials**<span style="font-weight: 400;">:</span>

- [The APC ICT Policy Handbook](https://www.apc.org/sites/default/files/APCHandbookWeb_EN_0.pdf)
- [GISWatch - WSIS+20: Reimagining Horizons of dignity, equity and justice for our digital future](https://www.giswatch.org/2024-special-edition-wsis20-reimagining-horizons-dignity-equity-and-justice-our-digital-future)
- [Introduction to digital rights - South and Southeast Asia](https://www.mediadefence.org/resource-hub/introduction-to-digital-rights-south-and-southeast-asia/)
- [Freedom on the Net 2025 - An Uncertain Future for the Global Internet](https://freedomhouse.org/report/freedom-net/2025/uncertain-future-global-internet)
- [United Nations resolutions, decisions and reports on human rights and technology](https://www.humanrights.dk/files/media/document/Overview%20of%20UN%20resolutions%20on%20HR%20and%20Tech%20%28List%20compiled%20by%20the%20Danish%20Insititute%20for%20Human%20Rights%29.pdf)

#### 📌 [**Presentation Slide**](https://drive.google.com/file/d/175lzMiCVFY_cWa69_F7O8PpjkKTBSkBQ/view?usp=drivesdk)

# Day 1 Session 2: Access and inclusion

**Time: 7:00 UTC - 8:30 UTC**

<span style="font-weight: 400;">**Objective:** The focus of this session is to develop participants’ understanding of meaningful access and the regulatory frameworks that enable Internet connectivity. It will also invite participants to examine the digital divide, its effects on marginalised groups, and policies and initiatives designed to promote inclusion. This session will further incorporate case studies in the region that illustrate how these issues play out in practice, enabling them to connect theoretical perspectives with lived realities.</span>

**Session plan:**


The session will aim to cover questions such as:

- <span style="font-weight: 400;">What do we mean by meaningful access? </span>
- <span style="font-weight: 400;">What are the regulatory and policy frameworks that shape internet connectivity in South Asia? What are the gaps?</span>
- <span style="font-weight: 400;">What are the challenges to digital inclusion (including the gender digital divide and the importance of an intersectional approach)?</span>
- <span style="font-weight: 400;">What are some initiatives or models that could be useful to address issues of access and inclusion (community networks, universal access funds etc.)?</span>

*\*Reading materials are hyperlinked, please click the text to access*

#### **Reading Materials**<span style="font-weight: 400;">:</span>

- [APC - Seeding change: A new framework to address the digital divide in Asia](https://www.apc.org/en/blog/seeding-change-new-framework-address-digital-divide-asia-0)
- [AfterAccess: ICT access and use in Asia and the Global South](https://lirneasia.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/LIRNEasia-AfterAccess-Asia-Report.pdf)
- [Gender and Digital Access Gaps and Barriers in Asia: But What About After Access?](https://www.unwomen.org/sites/default/files/2022-12/EP.2_Helani%20Galpaya.pdf)

#### 📌 [**Presentation Slide**](https://drive.google.com/file/d/1G7PjGEfq66kMmUwkszsvDxSqGdHPsv_V/view?usp=drivesdk)

# Day 1 Session 3: Group exercise briefing

**Time: 9:00 UTC - 10:00 UTC**

<span style="font-weight: 400;">**Objective:** Participants will come together in this session to engage with these themes of digital rights: access, freedom of expression, and privacy. Using relevant case studies, they will be divided into breakout groups and tasked with 1) analysing the issues and 2) designing advocacy strategies targeting actors such as governments, the public, or platforms. Conducted as a group activity, the session allows participants to work on a case study collaboratively with a small group of peers</span>

##### **Exercise sheets**

**Group 1 -** [**Case Study on Access and Inclusion**](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Znc3h1pii-cVTJ30q3MqEQUrPWDwjTyTj7oeObjbaLE/edit?usp=drivesdk)

- ***Participants: Cho (facilitator), Ananya, Monisha, Al Noman***

**Group 2 -** [**Case Study on Freedom of Expression**](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1_hhhJKAihzJL8pNCZ5-MYOI7BskdQEXDCD7Us4O5HAc/edit?usp=drivesdk)

- ***Participants: Zana (facilitator), Annika, Anamul, Ankit***

**Group 3 -** [<span style="font-weight: 400;">**Case Study on Privacy and Surveillance**</span>](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1rNlTls08lK0Z3nWwljW06ZDPoQw7hqzVkSzkqD4Yf-8/edit?usp=drivesdk)

- ***Participants: Pavitra (facilitator), Radhit, Maitree, Pamodi***

# Day 2 Session 1: Freedom of expression

**Time: 5:00 UTC - 6:30 UTC**

<span style="font-weight: 400;">**Objective:** This session is aimed at exploring the laws protecting freedom of expression across the South Asian region, while also examining the restrictions placed on this right within different legal systems. Participants will look closely at laws addressing hate speech, sedition, blasphemy, and defamation in their regional contexts. The session will further provide a brief historical overview of these laws and restrictions, tracing how they continue to surface in both offline and online spaces today.</span>

**Session plan:**


The session will aim to cover questions such as:

- <span style="font-weight: 400;">What are the provisions that cover freedom of expression in international human rights law and national legislation in South Asia?</span>
- <span style="font-weight: 400;">What does international law say regarding conditions for restrictions on freedom of expression, and how does it compare to the kinds of restrictions we see in South Asia (hate speech, sedition, blasphemy, defamation and mis/disinformation etc.)?</span>
- <span style="font-weight: 400;">What kinds of laws are being passed in South Asia in relation to freedom of expression online? How does this differ from how freedom of expression is regulated offline?</span>
- <span style="font-weight: 400;">What is the role of platforms with respect to freedom of expression online? What impact does the current policy approach towards platforms in South Asia have on freedom of expression online? What needs to change?</span>

*\*Reading materials are hyperlinked, please click the text to access*

#### **Reading Materials**<span style="font-weight: 400;">:</span>

- [<span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">Global Information Society Watch 2017 special edition: Unshackling expression - A study on laws criminalising expression online in Asia</span>](https://www.apc.org/en/pubs/global-information-society-watch-2017-special-edition-unshackling-expression-study-laws)
- <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">[Unshackling Expression: The Philippines Report](https://www.apc.org/en/pubs/unshackling-expression-philippines-report)  
    </span>
- [<span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">Virtual Verdicts: A study on the criminalisation of online expression in Sri Lanka</span>](https://www.apc.org/en/pubs/virtual-verdicts-study-criminalisation-online-expression-sri-lanka)
- [<span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">Unshackling Expression: The Nepal Report</span>](https://www.apc.org/en/news/nepals-laws-too-vague-protect-freedom-expression-online-says-new-cyrilla-report)
- [<span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">Freedom on the Net 2025</span>](https://freedomhouse.org/sites/default/files/2025-11/Freedom_on_the_Net_2025_Digital.pdf)
- [<span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">Intermediary Liability 2.0</span>](https://drive.google.com/file/d/1rZiPwmF_2SNM6Ip5mXYpZ6N4Vww6e3EF/view?usp=drive_link)
- [<span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">Jurisprudence Shaping Digital Rights in South Asia</span>](https://drive.google.com/file/d/1VyeQRelZfTPfLvF5T1NBD3KRo6z6ayms/view?usp=drive_link)
- [<span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">Social Media and Hate Speech in India</span>](https://drive.google.com/file/d/1oJzN0RCLw6wRGRf206H1iCJYS96Kp4jF/view?usp=drive_link)
- [<span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">Content Take Downs on the World Wide Web - A Global Reality</span>](https://drive.google.com/file/d/1WpYnQZFyx1FLefxPkKYPapsWZzwnvenV/view?usp=drive_link)

#### 📌 [**Presentation Slide**](https://drive.google.com/file/d/1C5cfJwfCEB0kROefNdi0jNmDBEhUHuFb/view?usp=drive_link)

# Day 2 Session 2: Privacy, surveillance and data protection

**Time: 7:00 UTC - 8:30 UTC**

<span style="font-weight: 400;">**Objective:** In this session, participants will learn to examine the different facets of privacy in the digital age and the regulations designed to protect these rights. They will investigate the impact of emerging technologies on privacy by considering the various forms of surveillance currently deployed in society alongside the enabling legal frameworks. This session will further focus on the rise of surveillance-related policies and their implications for the protection and promotion of digital rights.</span>

**Session plan:**


The session will aim to cover questions such as:

- <span style="font-weight: 400;">What is privacy in the digital age and why is it important?</span>
- <span style="font-weight: 400;">What are the ways in which the internet and other digital technologies are being used to infringe privacy and engage in surveillance?</span>
- <span style="font-weight: 400;">What are the legal and regulatory frameworks in south Asia that protect privacy, including data protection laws? What are the challenges and gaps?</span>
- <span style="font-weight: 400;">What are the ways in which legal frameworks in South Asia are being used to enable surveillance?</span>
- <span style="font-weight: 400;">What is the impact of such policies on freedom of expression, assembly and association and other rights, especially for marginalised groups?</span>

*\*Reading materials are hyperlinked, please click the text to access*

#### **Reading Materials**<span style="font-weight: 400;">:</span>

- [The misuse of Personal data protection laws across the Asia-Pacific](https://www.apc.org/en/news/personal-data-protection-laws-across-asia-pacific-are-now-regularly-misused-aid-tyranny#:~:text=At%20the%20APrIGF%20session%2C%20Deborah,the%20interests%20it%20ultimately%20serves.&text=Shalom%20Gauri%20(she/her),fiction%20and%20anti%2Dcapitalist%20imagination.)
- [Data Privacy and Data Protection – South and South East Asia](https://www.mediadefence.org/resource-hub/data-privacy-protection-south-southeast-asia/?tztc=1)
- [A critique of consent in Information Privacy](https://cis-india.org/internet-governance/blog/a-critique-of-consent-in-information-privacy)
- [A Contextual Approach to Privacy Online](https://www.amacad.org/publication/contextual-approach-privacy-online)
- [The Age of Surveillance Capitalism](https://drive.google.com/file/d/1JTuiiCtGBJeLgQVcZmSqGYQv5a8dDnmP/view?usp=drive_link)
- [Privacy and Surveillance, case laws in India](https://uidai.gov.in/images/news/Judgement_26-Sep-2018.pdf)
- [Privacy and Surveillance, case laws in Sri Lanka](https://www.lawnet.gov.lk/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/020-SLLR-SLLR-2001-V-2-SINHA-RANATUNGA-v.-THE-STATE.pdf)
- [Privacy and Surveillance, case laws in Pakistan](https://privacylibrary.ccgnlud.org/case/mohtarma-benazir-bhutto-and-ors-vs-president-of-pakistan-and-ors)
- [<span class="widget__headline-text " data-type="text">Warning of 'Surveillance Capitalism' Nightmare</span>](https://www.commondreams.org/news/2019/06/06/warning-surveillance-capitalism-nightmare-big-tech-investor-turned-critic-pushes)
- [<span class="widget__headline-text " data-type="text">Surveillance Capitalism</span>](https://biancawylie.medium.com/zuboffs-cycle-of-dispossession-e9cf54a2ba3c)

#### 📌 [**Presentation Slide**](https://drive.google.com/file/d/1QZ-8DXiMGzw6YrJvgN-0BYQjE7LmMqf9/view?usp=drive_link)

# Day 2 Session 3: Group work check-in

**Time: 9:00 UTC - 10:00 UTC**

**Objective:** This session provides an opportunity for participants to continue their group work and reflect on the case studies from their own experiences, through challenges they have encountered in their work and approaches they have employed. They will also engage in a feedback process with facilitators, allowing them to refine their approaches through this exchange.

##### **Exercise sheets**

**Group 1 -** [**Case Study on Access and Inclusion**](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Znc3h1pii-cVTJ30q3MqEQUrPWDwjTyTj7oeObjbaLE/edit?usp=drivesdk)

- ***Participants: Cho (facilitator), Ananya, Monisha, Al Noman, Anuvind, Shalani***

**Group 2 -** [**Case Study on Freedom of Expression**](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1_hhhJKAihzJL8pNCZ5-MYOI7BskdQEXDCD7Us4O5HAc/edit?usp=drivesdk)

- ***Participants: Zana (facilitator), Annika, Anamul, Ankit, Nuva***

**Group 3 -** [<span style="font-weight: 400;">**Case Study on Privacy and Surveillance**</span>](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1rNlTls08lK0Z3nWwljW06ZDPoQw7hqzVkSzkqD4Yf-8/edit?usp=drivesdk)

- ***Participants: Pavitra (facilitator), Radhit, Maitree, Pamodi***

# Day 3 Session 1: Gender and vulnerable groups

**Time: 5:00 UTC - 6:30 UTC**

<span style="font-weight: 400;">**Objective:** This unit invites participants to examine the differentiated impacts of ICT policies on vulnerable groups, with particular attention to the special provisions that seek to protect gender and other marginalised communities in digital spaces. It also encouraged reflection on how vulnerable groups participate in policymaking processes and how rights-based, inclusive strategies can strengthen equity in the ICT environment.</span>

**Session plan:**


The session will aim to cover questions such as:

- <span style="font-weight: 400;">How do issues such as access, safety, and participation in digital spaces vary across gender, caste, class, ethnicity, disability, sexuality, and other identities in the context of South Asia? </span>
- <span style="font-weight: 400;">What are the regulatory frameworks and policies at the international and national level in south Asia that aim to safeguard vulnerable groups? How effective are they in practice? </span>
- <span style="font-weight: 400;">What are the challenges and gaps in the current approach to ICT policy-making in the region with respect to the protection of vulnerable groups?</span>
- <span style="font-weight: 400;">What are some strategies to ensure that ICT policy making includes a feminist, intersectional, rights-based approach?</span>

*\*Reading materials are hyperlinked, please click the text to access*

#### **Reading Materials**<span style="font-weight: 400;">:</span>

- [Access denied: Gender digital divide as a form of violence in South and Southeast Asia](https://www.apc.org/en/blog/access-denied-gender-digital-divide-form-violence-south-and-southeast-asia)
- [UN Women, Online and ICT -facilitated violence against women and girls during COVID-19](ttps://www.unwomen.org/sites/default/files/Headquarters/Attachments/Sections/Library/Publications/2020/Brief-Online-and-ICT-facilitated-violence-against-women-and-girls-during-COVID-19-en.pdf)
- [Statistics of Vulnerable groups and the digital divides in Asia and Pacific: Social development division ESCAP, 2020](https://www.unescap.org/sites/default/files/Channarith%20and%20Channe_Digital%20Divide%20and%20vulnerable%20groups_202000804%20-final.pdf)
- [A framework for developing gender-responsive cybersecurity policy](https://www.apc.org/en/pubs/framework-developing-gender-responsive-cybersecurity-policy)

#### 📌 [**Presentation Slide**](https://drive.google.com/file/d/1fzpuSCp-jRaj4OK6AJiTg6T4NGD1oi3P/view?usp=drive_link)

# Day 3 Session 2: Group work session

**Time: 7:00 UTC - 7:45 UTC**

**Objective:** During this collaborative block, participants will work in their breakout groups to refine their advocacy strategies by integrating insights from earlier sessions. Facilitators will offer guidance and feedback to help participants consolidate their approaches and strengthen their overall outcomes.

# Day 3 Session 3: Final presentation and closing

**Time: 8:00 UTC - 9:30 UTC**

**Objective:** In this concluding session, participants present the outcomes of their group work and reflect on the lessons learned throughout the program. Each group will deliver a presentation, followed by feedback and questions from the facilitation team and peers. The session will also include a collective reflection on commonalities and differences across regions and countries.

# 🐳 Resource persons' profiles



# Resource persons' profiles

[![Apar - Final.png](https://wiki.asia.apc.org/uploads/images/gallery/2025-11/scaled-1680-/apar-final.png)](https://wiki.asia.apc.org/uploads/images/gallery/2025-11/apar-final.png)

[![Nandini - Final.png](https://wiki.asia.apc.org/uploads/images/gallery/2025-11/scaled-1680-/nandini-final.png)](https://wiki.asia.apc.org/uploads/images/gallery/2025-11/nandini-final.png)

[![Prasanth - Final.png](https://wiki.asia.apc.org/uploads/images/gallery/2025-11/scaled-1680-/prasanth-final.png)](https://wiki.asia.apc.org/uploads/images/gallery/2025-11/prasanth-final.png)

[![Ashwini - Final.png](https://wiki.asia.apc.org/uploads/images/gallery/2025-11/scaled-1680-/ashwini-final.png)](https://wiki.asia.apc.org/uploads/images/gallery/2025-11/ashwini-final.png)

[![Seerat - Final.png](https://wiki.asia.apc.org/uploads/images/gallery/2025-11/scaled-1680-/seerat-final.png)](https://wiki.asia.apc.org/uploads/images/gallery/2025-11/seerat-final.png)

# 🌊 Documentation



# Day 1 Report

##### <span style="color: #008000;">**ICT landscape and frameworks | 5:00 - 6:30 UTC**</span>

**👤 Apar Gupta**

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Session details:</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">This first session invites participants to explore the regional ICT and digital rights landscape, develop an understanding of key frameworks and structures, and examine the powers and processes that create them. It will also help participants to identify the structures of governance and regulation, as well as recognise the opportunities and challenges that arise across different sectors and countries in South Asia as a result of these regulations. </span>

- <span style="font-weight: 400;">Briefly, what are the national and international structures that shape ICT policy and digital rights (standards, treaties, laws, policies etc.);</span>
- <span style="font-weight: 400;">What have been the kinds of laws passed in South Asia in relation to ICTs?</span>
- <span style="font-weight: 400;">Who are the key stakeholders in ICT governance? What roles do they play in decision making?</span>
- <span style="font-weight: 400;">What has been the impact of ICT policies in South Asia on human rights? </span>
- <span style="font-weight: 400;">What is a rights-based approach to ICT policy-making? Why is it important?</span>

##### **Key Themes from the presentation:** 

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Platform Governance </span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">In the past decade, there has been an increased number of internet connections in India, with the current record of 970M+ internet connections, following an increase of 300-400M users on Instagram, Youtube and WhatsApp. Access to data per individual is unequal due to socioeconomic status, with some owning multiple connections, and some without any access. </span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">As these platforms are now core public infrastructure for speech, news and association, they also govern the visibility on who is heard, silenced, and how information travels. State power further increasingly exercised their governance through the platforms, via specific tactics like notice-and-takedown, blocking, and shadow banning. However, there is a lack of transparency on these rules and implementations on censorship. Such governance choices affect civil society and social movements including elections, protects, minority speeches and journalistic investigations. </span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Core Concepts: </span>

- <span style="font-weight: 400;">An Intermediary is an entity that carry, host or process third-party content (ISPs, social media, messaging apps, cloud, CDNs) which allows the user to use the internet</span>
- <span style="font-weight: 400;">Intermediary Liability (IL) : when and how the intermediary is legally responsible for user-generated content and is liable for prosecution under national law. Due to the volume of data hosted by the third parties, they are not required by law to conduct censorship, but to be a safe harbor. </span>
- <span style="font-weight: 400;">Safe Harbor: Based on Section 79 of the IT Act 2000, conditional immunity for intermediaries if they meet due diligence and procedural requirements, such as having grievance officers. The rationale is to protect innovation and freedom for expression while allowing redress for genuine harm. Intermediaries can be passive conduits by receiving orders by the government to remove any illegal content or provide the user data to the authority. </span>
- <span style="font-weight: 400;">Design tension: too much immunity -&gt; impunity; too little -&gt; over removal and private censorship. May affect advocacy on civil liberties, protests revolving around vulnerable groups, whistleblowers. </span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">The Indian Framework: From Safe Harbor to Delegated Censorship</span>

- <span style="font-weight: 400;">The IT 2000 is a law modelled after UNCITRAL Model Law on Electronic Commerce (1996), responding to the emergence of the internet in 1996. It contains Section 79, in which intermediaries are not liable for third party content, and enjoys safe harbor if they meet due diligence and procedural requirements, which indicates that they are expected to take down content deemed unlawful or illegal on its own without any interference by the government. </span>
- <span style="font-weight: 400;">Due to the high number of users, they need to shift to proactive gatekeeper, which requires a higher level of due diligence on traceability (identifying user), automated content moderation, and “significant intermediary duties”. </span>
- <span style="font-weight: 400;">After a procedural change on IT Rule 3(1)(d) in 2021, censorship is being delegated to the platforms. Traceability mandate would require a significant intermediary. Eg any intermediary with above 5M users essentially needs to fingerprint all encrypted messages sent with the identity of the person. The companies will store the user data. </span>
- <span style="font-weight: 400;">Executive rule-making (blocking content, content takedown rules) has expanded obligations without full parliamentary debate</span>
- <span style="font-weight: 400;">The ambit of IL, which was initially for messaging platforms and apps, has been extended to streaming platforms such as Netflix, Amazon Prime, Hulu and online news platforms such as digital newspapers and magazine articles. </span>
- <span style="font-weight: 400;">Social media companies began to comply more aggressively to avoid any criminal risk, or protect user rights and risk retaliation, to maintain a market in countries with more restrictive laws</span>
- <span style="font-weight: 400;">Result: Legal uncertainty, forum shopping, and a gradual erosion of the original safe harbor bargain</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Censorship</span>

- <span style="font-weight: 400;">Government orders for censorship are mostly issued in secret, in which the user has no knowledge on which post or information is deemed unlawful, or weak reason. This restricts any opportunities for meaningful judicial or public scrutiny, impacts access to justice and violates their freedom of expression (FOE). </span>
- <span style="font-weight: 400;">In India, the freedom of expression (FOE) includes the right to receive information. It is not just an injury to the person affected by the censorship, but to the public interest</span>

- <span style="font-weight: 400;">Overboard terms that are being used (decency, public order, national security), enable discretionary and viewpoint-discriminatory takedowns. The laws by the government are usually well defined due to the basis of power on the public, in comparison to a private company. The content moderation terms can also be used for government censorship.</span>
- <span style="font-weight: 400;">Platforms tend to over-comply, especially on ‘borderline’ speech, leading to silencing dissent, satire, and investigative journalism. </span>
- <span style="font-weight: 400;">Marginalised communities, independent media and opposition voices bear the heaviest burden of opaque content governance, as they are afraid of sharing their opinions </span>
- <span style="font-weight: 400;">Lack of transparency and remedy, interests regarding rule of law in the country vs the private company’s interests, with the users’ rights being bargained</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Towards Rights-Respecting Platform Governance</span>

- <span style="font-weight: 400;">Anchor all platform rules in constitutional standards of legality, necessity, and proportionality</span>
- <span style="font-weight: 400;">Clear, narrowly tailored statutes; limit overbroad delegated legislation (IT Rules 2000 - amendment to give the government the power to censor anything that is against the nation. </span>
- <span style="font-weight: 400;">Protect and modernise safe harbor: liability only after due process, specific notice</span>
- <span style="font-weight: 400;">Mandatory transparency: public dashboards on government orders, detailed takedown notices</span>
- <span style="font-weight: 400;">Independent oversight and multi-stakeholder processes (civil society, technologists, affected communities) in drafting rules</span>
- <span style="font-weight: 400;">Guiding principle: platforms should be accountable, but not converted into privatised censors to the state</span>

##### **Notes from the discussion:** 

##### <span style="font-weight: 400;">Government initiatives and regulations, safe harbor framework</span>

**What has changed in how the government looks at technology and the shift in the last 7 years or so?**

<span style="font-weight: 400;">The large growth of telecommunication infrastructure prompts a high interest in regulation on the content and type of technologies. As such, the Indian government has been using the Safe Harbor framework as a principle regulation, whereas there’s a global movement for deregulation to increase more innovation and more private industries to thrive. </span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">The Safe Harbor framework offers the ability of the state to not to bring a lot of regulations to operate your business, but still allows the government to fasten a liability on a private company that is required to obey any content takedown requests. While it may not be the best, it is still important for this framework to be protected. </span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">The Digital India Act plays a large role in pushing for digitisation, and yet there are no clear statutory provisions. There are ‘guardrails’ acting through executive notification but there are no fully fleshed out regulations unlike in the EU. pushing for the digitisation of every information, with ‘guardrails’ through executive notification. </span>

**How do we balance states' use of broad-based language to allow regulation of emerging technology and the chilling effect that it produces, if we maintain the ‘Safe Harbor’ framework? (especially to curb Big Tech)**

<span style="font-weight: 400;">It is important to see and frame the platforms as businesses that serve their primary interest in gathering data for private corporations, and are no longer acting as passive intermediaries. Many problems arise when the platforms have full control on the operations and content distribution. </span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">The issue of broad-based language is due to the larger Rule of Law problem. It has been affected because the constitutional frameworks and the institutions were largely captured by the elites and legalities protests. Even that has been shifted by global populism.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">I would double down on the transparency commitment, because at the very least it should allow researchers, academics, CSOs to know more on the basis of the knowledge of public pressure’s outcomes. </span>

**Q: What other infrastructure regulations beyond online platforms that we should look out for? And how do we see that impacting rights in terms of the current thinking? What are the trends happening in the region, and what should we prepare in order to push for rights?**

<span style="font-weight: 400;">It is important to acknowledge that many issues are dominated and steered by technology. </span>

- <span style="font-weight: 400;">Licensing and governing telecom and internet providers. </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">In India, the legislation governing telecommunications has changed from the Telegraph Act to the Telecommunications Act, in which the government gets to license who gets to operate the telecom services and especially on running the internet services in the country. While the government is seen as a custodian to the spectrum of the services, this severely serves the government for a number of reasons: </span>
- <span style="font-weight: 400;">telecom companies are expected to give shares and equal service to all the networks in the region; </span>
- <span style="font-weight: 400;">more censorship mechanisms such as blocking certain websites, shutting down the internet, net-neutrality, and filtering mechanisms;</span>
- <span style="font-weight: 400;">regulations on hosting and cloud providers, which impacts users’ digital rights to privacy. There’s a default retention on verifying their identity and where do they connect to. </span>

- <span style="font-weight: 400;">Technical obstructions in smartphones,</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"> such as certain operating system standards and updates are required for certain apps to work. </span>
- <span style="font-weight: 400;">The Biometric system</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"> Aadhar, which now requires accessing an application to obtain social benefits such as pensions, government support, and more. One of the many drawbacks is the disparity of access for all citizens especially for those who do not own a device. </span>

##### <span style="font-weight: 400;">Platform regulations and content moderation</span>

**Content moderation that was once supported by thousands of workers across the Global South has been dismantled as major platforms cut costs and left a gap for context-sensitive moderation especially when it comes to non-English content. Also in extension it also has effects on information integrity. How do the regulations structure navigate this in a way that is rights-based regulatory models that balance accountability with freedom of expression?**

<span style="font-weight: 400;">As the platforms have the power to control the visibility of content based on their own interests, it is more difficult to see where the line is drawn, what kind of information they would deliver to the users, with the intent to prolong the usage time. Content moderation is important but it alone does not address or fix the issues as fascism and populism that could contribute to the platforms’ initiatives. </span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Content moderation systems in the Global South which are used to mitigate harm may cause extreme polarisation by amplifying polarising opinions to get more engagement. </span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Certain issues could also be degraded or desensitised over time, re: Palestine.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Some platforms like Signal would follow human rights principles to a certain degree. Ultimately, there needs to be a shift of thinking and mindset to distribute on diverse platforms, rather than being tied to one certain platform. </span>

**Do you think it is useful to compare the models of state control over these platforms and to information flow particularly from across border (eg. banning accounts of users from other countries from view within this country) to Digital Right Management (DRM) 20 years ago. Media companies pushed tech companies to create and impose DRM tech on everything and recreate the control they had over physical world media in digital spaces, then a decade later became even more controlling than the physical world was. Do you see parallels? We also see strange invasions of digital privacy hidden within tax law. Do you think this kind of sideways attack on digital privacy and other digital rights are harder to fight?**

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Certain tech industries may have also broken the DRM. Eg Google Books who scanned every publication and went against intellectual property. We need to acknowledge the distinction between business concerns and tech companies, in which DRM is being bundled with cheap data and subscription services. </span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">However, piracy is also on the rise as users are looking for content not offered.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">The control which tech companies have on people today is immense. It’s not only a strategy of locking people in their platforms, but it’s also the ability of larger techs investing in smaller start ups and venture capitals, monopolising any new services. There’s a high amount of control among 15-20 companies on our technology, with the current AI companies becoming more concentrated with the perceived value. </span>

##### <span style="font-weight: 400;">Alternative Strategies For a Safe, Accessible and Rights-Affirming Access</span>

**Between deregulation by neoliberal privatisation and regulation by the government, what should be the solution to balance the rights-based regulatory model?**

<span style="font-weight: 400;">The government is expected to serve the public and constitutional interests. Unfortunately, the global trend of playing by the Rule of Law creates a tension in the relationship between the larger government’s interests and individual officials who tend to play towards their own interests, which is conducted without any transparency. </span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">There needs to be a full institutionalised regulatory framework, with regulators, that is insulated and autonomous from the political space so that the expertise can grow and develop their own mandate</span><span style="font-weight: 400;">. That regulatory body of large transnational companies has to be in the public domain for public scrutiny and access, as most large private companies are not necessarily champions of free expression. Similar to the government, it's good to have that tension. </span>

**The internet is historically different as there are global efforts to ensure multi-stakeholder governance can be conducted. How is this model adopted for the internet and why does it need to find a place at the national level and what are the challenges in the countries in our regions?**

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Certain multilateral processes around internet governance are available (e.g. UN IGF) to acknowledge recommendations from civil society and other stakeholders, giving them the opportunity to shape the agenda or provide any feedback on themes and decisions to be made. However, most states would opt for state-centric multilateral approaches due to distrust of civil society. </span>

**What do alternative models of ownership, development, and innovation look like - models that build community-owned or decentralised pockets of the internet that challenge extractivist and capitalist business models?**

**And in contexts where accountability mechanisms are failing because states themselves are perpetrators of digital repression and violence, what strategies or governance frameworks could support these alternatives to remain safe, accessible, and rights-affirming?**

- <span style="font-weight: 400;">There are workshops done on reimagining the technology and relationship with it, and the various exercises have produced poetry, visual art, and mixed media to </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">reconnect with their humanity and reality beyond the internet.</span>
- <span style="font-weight: 400;">Worker cooperatives, feminist-guided platforms and alternative tech platforms can be done, and it is important to have legislative frameworks to shape them.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"> These cooperatives may have issues such as funding support, governance structures and their integration of social functions. As reform initiatives may be decadent and vis-a-vis the current policies and authorities in place. One movement we can learn from is the labour movement, in which we see with the unionisation of gig workers, gig workers' relationship with the platforms. </span>
- <span style="font-weight: 400;">There needs to be a range of political activation among people to make them understand their choices politically, in which </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">activists could be more proactive in setting the agenda</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"> rather than reacting to how tech governs one’s life. For example, a person who does not own a smart phone can still be aware of how the smartphone can affect their choices.</span>
- <span style="font-weight: 400;">We can use </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">aspirational politics</span><span style="font-weight: 400;">, in which it is not present in SA. The public at large isn't aware of how technology affects them in a deep way, unless a politician informs them. </span>
- <span style="font-weight: 400;">The tech bubble is also breaking</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"> as we learn how certain environmentalists and gender rights movements distribute their message across these platforms against the algorithm.</span>

- - - - - -

#### <span style="color: #008000;">**Access and inclusion | 7:00 - 8:30 UTC**</span>

**👤 Nandini Chami**

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Session details:</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">The focus of this session is to develop participants’ understanding of meaningful access and the regulatory frameworks that enable Internet connectivity. It will also invite participants to examine the digital divide, its effects on marginalised groups, and policies and initiatives designed to promote inclusion. This session will further incorporate regional case studies in the region that illustrate how these issues play out in practice, enabling them to connect theoretical perspectives with lived realities.</span>

- <span style="font-weight: 400;">What do we mean by meaningful access? (including discussion of access as a right)</span>
- <span style="font-weight: 400;">What are the regulatory and policy frameworks that shape internet connectivity in South Asia? What are the gaps?</span>
- <span style="font-weight: 400;">What are the challenges to digital inclusion (including the gender digital divide and the importance of an intersectional approach)?</span>
- <span style="font-weight: 400;">What are some initiatives or models that could be useful to address issues of access and inclusion (community networks, universal access funds etc.)?</span>

##### **Key points from the presentation:**

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Mentimeter:</span>

1. <span style="font-weight: 400;">Addressing the divides in meaningful access will ensure digital inclusion</span>
1. <span style="font-weight: 400;">Not sure: We are battling other issues such as poverty, fascism, etc </span>

3. <span style="font-weight: 400;">South Asian economies have other priorities to address before the quest for AI transformation</span>
1. <span style="font-weight: 400;">I disagree: Does not think we should look at other priorities as distinct, it can be fought in parallel with each other when these issues are structurally interconnected. </span>

5. <span style="font-weight: 400;">In South Asia, what is the biggest challenge to effecting digital inclusion?</span>
1. <span style="font-weight: 400;">Political will, poverty and digital literacy, knowledge</span>


<span style="font-weight: 400;">SA is home to 2 billion people, and has emerged as one of the world’s fastest-growing regions during the first two decades of the 21st century demonstrated by GDP growth rates. The second date experienced higher economic growth in Bangladesh and India, with jobs affected by AI development. </span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Coverage gap: Afghanistan and Pakistan have a coverage gap of over 10%. Usage gap, percentage of the population who live within the footprint of a broadband network but not using internet: 42%</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Mobile internet subscribers: the number of unique users that have used internet services on a mobile device that they own or have primary use of at the end of the year</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">To take note that the connection is available because of the subscription, but not necessarily on actual usage. </span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">South Asia’s mobile use landscape</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Gaps in affordability - SA has a huge gap on gender employability. </span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Gaps in usage - while there is no significant rural-urban gap, but men </span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Gender divide: Typically, headlines tend to lean towards women’s usage on the internet. Often hear about mobile bans by the local government agencies. Even more than overt gatekeeping, there’s systemic and patriarchal barriers by patriarchal gender norms. </span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Women use it to speak to family; using cheaper phone thus access is limited; digital skills and time constraints</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Young women, aged 18-25, how they navigate household patriarchies to allow their access and use of the internet. The participants of the FGD described the approach as ‘Cinderella’ and playing an angel image - uses social media but rarely posts on it, rarely accepts requests from male users, and tries to balance perceptions and performs how the family should be portrayed. </span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Online GBV on women and minorities - especially on the rise of synthetic media. Study by Equality Now, 2025. Indian law enforcement agencies describe the process of getting social media companies to remove abusive content (eg ‘revenge porn’) as “opaque, resource-intensive, inconsistent and often ineffective” </span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Often ends up policing and surveilling women, and suppresses women’s self-expression and sexual expression</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Access is NOT equal to digital inclusion on empowering terms</span>

- <span style="font-weight: 400;">Alison Gillwald, : The connectivity paradox - the internet is not an automatic enabling pathways to development</span>
- <span style="font-weight: 400;">Advanced technologies are layered over underlying foundational infrastructures</span>
- <span style="font-weight: 400;">significant disparity between those who have technical and financial resources to use the internet actively and productively, vs ‘passive’, ‘barely’ online users using tiny bits of data communicate intermittently</span>

- <span style="font-weight: 400;">R.Heeks: All inclusion is not entirely empowering, ‘adverse digital incorporation’. </span>
- <span style="font-weight: 400;">Inclusion in a digital system that enables a more-advantaged group to extract disproportionate value front eh work and resource of the less-advantaged</span>
- <span style="font-weight: 400;">The growing pace of digitalisation during the Covid pandemic, has also been associated with a growth with inequality</span>
- <span style="font-weight: 400;">understand the relation between digital and inequality that of the digital divide: nations, regions, groups , individuals</span>
- <span style="font-weight: 400;">A conceptual model is required to explain how digital inclusion may lead to inequality.</span>


<span style="font-weight: 400;">Labour exploitation: the gig economy (drivers, delivery workers) and platformisation of informal employment</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">The AI sweatshop (in India region) - Data labelers to train AI models. The ghost workers are well-educated workforce, many with STEM university education to an advanced level, but failed to find appropriate jobs in their actual field. </span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Commodification of data</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">India - biometric identification programme (Aadhar numbers). The approach is being exported to other regions including Sri Lanka. </span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">The citizen became congruent with the customer, the national population is reborn as a “total Addressable Market”. January 2025 amendment to the Aadhar Act (2016) allows private sector services to be used to promote ease of living. Private innovation delivered through state-funded digital infrastructures empowers the poor and develops the nation. This allows predatory data profiling by the market which has never been enforced before. </span>

- <span style="font-weight: 400;">India’s DPI strategy of building health and agricultural data exchanges risks eroding the public value of the social data commons, due to the lack of attention to guardrails in data sharing partnerships. </span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Representational Injustice</span>

- <span style="font-weight: 400;">Stereotypical Word Association Test (SWAT) and Persona-based Scenarios Answering Task (PSAT) used to measure both implicit and explicit caste-based prejudices in LLMs. Continue to reflect entrenched caste stereotypes. </span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Concluding thoughts: Institutional governance deficits that perpetuate digital exclusion</span>

- <span style="font-weight: 400;">neocolonial digital order</span>
- <span style="font-weight: 400;">trade, tax and IP regimes entrench digital inequality - doesn’t able certain countries to create their own pathways</span>
- <span style="font-weight: 400;">Poverty of the imagination: South needs regenerative AI not more unicorns?</span>

##### **Notes from the discussion:**

##### <span style="font-weight: 400;">On Artificial Intelligence and AI transformation</span>

**How do you define AI transformation?**

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Referring to the UN Trade and Development’s definition of AI, as the purpose of the technology, there is a transfer of structure in the economy. In AI, you see an introduction of technology service in the tertiary and private sector, in which there is an increased use of knowledge in its structure. </span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">However, AI transformation doesn’t mean it’s magic as it does not necessarily leap through all the bottlenecks you have. If you are in the situation where you do not have any value added to the AI transformation, or giving up your data, then you would be lowered in the value chain. </span>

**With the proliferation of AI is not only the hype (and the illusion of ‘inclusion” - everyone can now ‘write’, everyone now can ‘draw’), but also the possible lack of solidarity that came with it - in AI labour displacement, first instinct is people might not protect one another, but to use the tools to replace our collaborators. We wish away designers, writers, we wish away project coordinators etc. Sure, AI lowers the barrier to working outside your lane, sure, that could mean more overlap between disciplines but individual work is often connected from the whole and when accelerated by automation, only makes the turbulence worse and the course corrections more violent**

<span style="font-weight: 400;">It is tantalising to see AI, such as the CoPilot revolution to make the work seen as dispensable. However, if we are increasingly seeing the internet as full of AI, chatbots and the transmission of information by way of AI becomes worse, there will be a point for collective response to stop using it. There is an increase in unionisation where people’s jobs are affected by AI as well. </span>

**Q: Regarding copyright and content, is it the case of closing the barn door in case the horses have already left, especially when the data has already been stored and used by Big Tech, but the laws become better after?**

<span style="font-weight: 400;">I have never run into a situation where cognitive work can be extracted from the person, as the mind is not extractable. Generative AI is putting this to the test, but that’s where there is hope to recognise this as work and not as similar to those fictions created by enterprises. </span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Another strategy is to reclaim copyright laws as content creators, and training standards. </span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">In the case of data, one useful thing is that if we build data models, most businesses want access to continuously learn social relations. This requires continuous data collection, which requires a lot of work. This can be a way of ‘rescuing the horse’. </span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">There is also the debate on what kind of data could be commodified, and what shouldn’t.We should recognise that data is social commerce, but model rights of traditional and indigenous knowledge should be acknowledged and involved. We should work on recognising the boundaries. Collective liaising on our data is a move we can prioritise. </span>

##### <span style="font-weight: 400;">Access to Connection and Data Control</span>

**In the previous session, we discussed the slow unionisation especially among gig workers. What pathways do you see to challenge through this divide?**

- <span style="font-weight: 400;">Due to the rapid development, what we’re fighting is a sort of apathy. People see data as useless or as an inconvenience, and do not mind that their data is taken. </span>
- <span style="font-weight: 400;">The challenge is the concentration of wealth that one sees. It is timely that the digital rights group collaborates with the labour rights movement.</span>
- <span style="font-weight: 400;">Big Tech controls beyond the economy, as it also controls our agency, desire, and nature. To illustrate the danger of data mining, as it is not only colonising information but also on actual land sites for building data centres. </span>
- <span style="font-weight: 400;">Activists cannot stop only at surveillance and privacy, because even if privacy is granted by way of consensual data sharing, once the data is detached from the user, it will be reused for other means. </span>
- <span style="font-weight: 400;">Engage with each other in this group and submit proposals </span>
- <span style="font-weight: 400;">We also need a global ambassador to talk about the detriment of AI and lack of data privacy. We need a social communist response to this. </span>

**Even within this paradigm of the digital divide on who has access, there are varying degrees on what access and usage means. In SA, not many have the basic level of that connectivity. One may be connected but do not understand the complexities on how our data can be exploited. On the other hand, one may not be able to remain connected. We know that corporations' concern is on profitability. Could you please tell us more on the options of those alternatives? Such as responding with community work. You cannot prioritise one over another.**

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Even if people are not connected, the government has moved many systems online, especially in delivering their services, which could lead to life and death situations. E.g the hospital computer may not accurately recognise the patient’s beneficiary or actual needs. We need to have the right to have a non-tech approach to many foundational services. </span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Secondly, we have abandoned the agenda of public access. In India, we do have a broadband fibre connection program. But it is not like a water pipe program - how do you make the connection meaningful? How do you make and deliver programs that can benefit many? 15 years ago, we were working on efforts to get connected. However, once mobile connection comes up, we tend to think of the mobile connection as a complete replacement for broadband internet, when these are two different infrastructures. </span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Because of the epidemic of misinformation, there is a rise in the debate for access, in which we can seize the opportunity to educate and talk about digital citizenship literacy and public access models. Many members of APCs are running this model, such as digital empowerment. We need to have a concerted response to lobby for a policy that can scale up these experiments. </span>

##### <span style="font-weight: 400;">Data and Labour Rights</span>

**Some 6-8 years ago IT for change had done a report that had looked at how datafication in ports in India such as Mumbai had tried port workers into amazon warehouse sequence stress bots. Their speed of movement was tracked with GPS, they had to complete tasks in some gamified but deeply punitive and unreasonable way. Amazon warehouse 101, really but in PPP port. To me this kind of example is a great way to show the horrors of data collection. However, I also see that the horror of this work model reflects equally perverse and inhumane work conditions in the informal economy.**

**This is a way to recognise the importance of Labour rights in countering this. Do you know of campaigns/organisation/initiatives dealing specifically with the labour conditions of datafication and gamified work?**

<span style="font-weight: 400;">In June 2025, </span>[<span style="font-weight: 400;">ILO commits to International Standards on Gig Work</span>](https://www.hrw.org/news/2025/06/13/ilo-commits-to-international-standards-on-gig-work)<span style="font-weight: 400;"> which promises decent work in the platform economy. In India, because of unions like </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Indian Federation of App-based Transport Workers (IFAT) and All India Gig Workers Union (AIGWU), a range of parliaments have passed the legislations including one of them which looked at how algorithmic work management work systems are auditable by labour commissioners. These conversations on transparency and accountability on the trackers that we use are happening. </span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Even in the EU and in the UK, the unions have taken Uber under scrutiny. That’s probably the way forward we can contest. </span>

**Certain apps and softwares also track how much time you spend on your devices, including keyboards and mouse. Sometimes software developers do not see themselves being affected by these issues. I wonder if we can create any solidarity through this?**

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Collective licensing of our data and workers data is something we need more investment in. </span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">There is a popular movement on “why can’t workers work with robots?” and we can comment on that. </span>

[<span style="font-weight: 400;">Bossware</span>](https://www.shortform.com/blog/what-is-bossware/)<span style="font-weight: 400;"> - lots of civil society organising against this. I know that Business and Human Rights Resource Centre and Investor Alliance for Human Rights (not India specific though) has been doing a fair bit of work on this</span>

**Q: Some SA countries have passed or in the process of passing data protection laws, do any of them address the challenges on data protection and data rights? If not, what are the ways data protection legislation can address these problems?**

<span style="font-weight: 400;">If we look at the data protection frameworks emerging in the nation, the </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">problem is it is trying to create a baseline by eliminating personal data to a publicly commodified market</span><span style="font-weight: 400;">. This is not just true of our legislation, but also as the gold standard of EU-Data Privacy Framework (EU-DPF) which does not recognise anonymous data. The fact that if you have alienated data on the basis of free and informed concern, and aggregated on the anonymisation, the basis is that it can work as a Human Rights Free Zone. </span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">The question of harm does not stop with the question of harm erosion. Downstream profiling and downstream capture of public value, the private sector has taken property. Unless you have means of compensatory purposes, how can you reclaim the public value of the data? This does not answer the question of benefit sharing outside of the legislation. What complicates this now is that, especially going by the experience of the African region, the pressure where India and Bangladesh have been negotiating with the US, digital trade becomes a bargain in which the US allows free reign on your market. That is one of the issues where we cannot imagine where we can see resources as data. We are only able to talk about personality data rights. </span>

**We are given the illusion to opt out from giving our data for the public and personal good. But there is also the question of having that option and choice to do so. In the concept of inclusion and access, as much as we want everyone to be included, does that include the option for people to meaningfully opt out?**

<span style="font-weight: 400;">I think if you look at European legislation, especially the Digital Services Act, there is an idea that users cannot lose the right to select services. </span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">This is a fascinating way of thinking about GDPR. Do you have links to specific material on this for diving deeper into this perspective?</span>

- [<span style="font-weight: 400;">https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract\_id=4123311</span>](https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=4123311)
- [<span style="font-weight: 400;">https://itforchange.net/index.php/treating-data-as-commons</span>](https://itforchange.net/index.php/treating-data-as-commons)

**Final Thoughts**<span style="font-weight: 400;">: </span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Suggests to read the Internet Feminist Report that APC created</span>

- <span style="font-weight: 400;">Feminist standpoint that FOE for all cannot stand without FOE for women and marginalised communities. What’s the kind of free speech that we want on the internet? We do not want the liberal idea either, which could lead to amplifying certain speeches into power when we want to have an equal level.</span>

# Day 2 Report

# <span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: #339966; background-color: transparent; font-weight: bold; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Freedom of expression and privacy | 5:00 - 6:30 UTC</span>

<span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">👤 </span><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: bold; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Prasanth Sugathan</span>

<span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Session details:</span>

<span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This session is aimed to explore the laws protecting freedom of expression across the South Asian region, while also examining the restrictions placed on this right within different legal systems. Participants will look closely at laws addressing hate speech, sedition, blasphemy, and defamation in their regional contexts. The session will further provide a brief historical overview of these laws and restrictions, tracing how they continue to surface in both offline and online spaces today.</span>

- <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Broadly, what are the provisions that cover freedom of expression in international human rights law and national legislation in South Asia?</span>
- <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Restrictions on FoE - what does international law say, and how does it compare to the kinds of restrictions we see in South Asia (hate speech, sedition, blasphemy, defamation and mis/disinformation etc.)?</span>
- <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">What kinds of laws are being passed in South Asia in relation to freedom of expression online? How does this differ from how FoE is regulated offline?</span>
- <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">What is the role of platforms with respect to freedom of expression online? What impact does the current policy approach towards platforms in South Asia have on FoE online? What needs to change?</span>

<span style="font-size: 13pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: bold; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Notes: </span>

<span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Most state governments were initially not adept on regulating online media and platforms as opposed to physical media, due to the former being created and owned by private and independent sectors. With time, governments were able to exercise their control through legislative frameworks, partnerships, and monitoring. The impact is the online space, initially promised for independent ownership and free speech, has been filtered and with privacy compromised. </span>

<span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">By looking and comparing the perspectives of various international and national human rights laws, there is an opportunity to challenge the legislation and the disparity on the private actors/platforms’ treatment towards the Global South and the Global North. Participants can also learn from success stories of other countries. </span>

<span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: underline; -webkit-text-decoration-skip: none; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">International Human Rights Legislations</span>

<span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The session acknowledges that the right to Freedom of Expression (FoE) is a fundamental human right recognised internationally through these channels: </span>

- <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR): Article 19 guarantees everyone the right to freedom of expression</span>
- <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR): Article 19 affirms the right to FoE, which includes the freedom to seek, receive and impart information and ideas “regardless of frontiers” and through “any other media of his choice”. This is not limited to offline/physical media, but also on online media. </span>
- <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Online/Offline Parity: The Human Rights Council (HRC) has explicitly affirmed that the same rights that people have offline must also be protected online, especially freedom of expression.</span>

<span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: bold; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: underline; -webkit-text-decoration-skip: none; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">National FoE Legislations and Restrictions in South Asia: </span>

<span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Constitutional/legal provisions generally ensure that an individual should have freedom of speech and expression. Different states have different levels of provisions on privacy, such as: </span>

- <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Nepal has provisions to guarantee the right to privacy</span>
- <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">India recognises that privacy is a fundamental right</span>

<span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Fundamentally, FoE restrictions are meant to serve for the public good and reduce harmful behaviours, and must be proportionate and necessary, while serving legitimate aims (as per Article 19(3) of ICCPR). Unfortunately the definitions and implementations of the restrictions are disproportionate, with most often targeting voices of dissent such as journalists, individuals and whistleblowers reporting issues against any politically affiliated actors. </span>

<span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Such restriction categories are: </span>

- <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Hate Speech - Should align with ICCPR Article 20, but most prosecuted under provisions like Section 153-A IPC, Now Section 196 BNS (India) or Anti-Terrorism Acts (Pakistan). Social media platforms are criticised for failing to enforce their own guidelines against actual hateful content made by politically affiliated actors. Enforcement is often inconsistent. </span>
- <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Blasphemy/Religion - Mostly enforced against individuals and journalists, in protection of certain individuals rather than the idea of the religion itself. Examples are Bangladesh DSA Section 28, Pakistan PECA Section 37. Certain courts like Pakistani courts have encouraged aggressive state action, including blocking, against content insulting religion. Directly contradicts international calls for decriminalisation of blasphemy laws. </span>
- <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Sedition/Political expression - Traditional penal codes are enforced online. </span>
- <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Defamation - Vague definition on defamation content, and criminal defamation remains applicable. This is continuously discouraged by international human rights bodies who have asked for decriminalisation and imprisonment is not an appropriate penalty. Has a chilling effect on free speech. </span>
- <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Contempt of Court - Used to clamp down on criticism of judicial processes and performance by journalists and lawyers. Violates ICCPR standards. </span>

<span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; overflow: hidden; width: 624px; height: 353px;">![](https://wiki.asia.apc.org/uploads/images/gallery/2025-12/embedded-image-orihq0a7.png)</span></span>

<span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; overflow: hidden; width: 624px; height: 311px;">![](https://wiki.asia.apc.org/uploads/images/gallery/2025-12/embedded-image-7e3pm8yt.png)</span></span>

<span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Many social media platforms do not act accordingly in restricting harmful content, which often led to the state taking such actions online and even offline. Such issues and methods are: </span>

- <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Content takedowns</span>
- <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Platform accountability / content moderation</span>
- <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Internet shutdowns - enforcing a disproportionate action that affects the larger public.</span>

<span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Such actions could cause a chilling effect of reducing free speech, instilling fear in expressing their opinions. </span>

<span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: bold; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: underline; -webkit-text-decoration-skip: none; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Three case studies in India: Safe harbour &amp; intermediary protections</span>

<span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Safe harbour is mandated by Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act in the US. </span>

<span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: underline; -webkit-text-decoration-skip: none; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Case 1, 2008, India: Avnish Bajaj vs State (Delhi High Court, 2008; SC, 2012)</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">.</span>

<span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Arrested as he landed in India for an obscene MMS sold via his own platform, </span>[<span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #1155cc; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: underline; -webkit-text-decoration-skip: none; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">baazee.com</span>](http://baazee.com)<span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. </span>

- <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Raised the question of the platform’s liability for any content posted online, even if the platform owner was not the original poster. </span>
- <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Section 79 of the Information Technology Act amended in 2008, but without any discussion in the parliament. </span>

<span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: underline; -webkit-text-decoration-skip: none; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Case 2, 2011, India: Shreya Singhal v Union of India and connected cases.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span>

<span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In 2011, FB and social media pages were not widely used during this time as compared to now, thus the law was imposed on various individuals for vague reasons and activities such as for liking a post that is deemed unlawful, or tracking online ecommerce activities as alibi. Struck down Section 66A IT Act for criminalising “offensive” speech, ruled unconstitutional due to ambiguous wording and could lead to chilling effect on free speech. </span>

- <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Although it is intended to protect marginalised/vulnerable communities, implementation showed otherwise as there was no clarity on the provision. There was a vague understanding on the terms and conditions, including on identifying content that is deemed as unlawful, and the order to take such content down within 36 hours. It also raises the question on the platform’s accountability on considering unlawful content, or having the knowledge of doing so. </span>
- <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Lawyers and CSOs reached out to the parliamentarians to look into the procedures, which prompted an MP to push a motion to annul these rules. This marked one of the rare cases where the subordinate rules and regulations on social media and online platforms were discussed and debated in the parliament. The media coverage of this debate further raised the public awareness on such issues. </span>
- <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Clarified intermediary liability (Section 79 IT Act):</span>
    - <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Intermediaries obliged to act on takedown requests only upon </span><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">court/government orders</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> citing limits of Article 19(2). </span>
    - <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Overturned “notice-and-takedown by any person” regime, protecting platforms from adjudicating legality of all content </span>
- <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Blocking rules found to be constitutionally valid, with the provision to hear the user’s side.</span>

<span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: underline; -webkit-text-decoration-skip: none; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Case 3, 2021: Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. </span>

<span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">These rules were tabled to regulate the proliferation of misinformation on WhatsApp, especially on tracking the source of forwarded messages. Other actions include proactive filters and a 24 hour takedown for illegal content. </span>

<span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This coincides with the </span><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: underline; -webkit-text-decoration-skip: none; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Blocking Rules (2009)</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, in which the government has the power to request the platform (WhatsApp or Facebook, and other platforms) to take down the unlawful content. Although there is a provision to send notice to the affected party, this emergency provision is often used without any notice. The confidentiality provision also creates ambiguity in which the affected party will not receive the reasoning for the action. </span>

<span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In 2021, a FOSS engineer who maintains various FOSS domains and platforms, including Diaspora pod, Matrix instance Grounds filed a writ petition to challenge IT Rules 2021. </span>

<span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The terms used in Rule 3(1) are vague, making it uncertain on what is prohibited or permitted. Force the intermediaries to censor and restrict free speech, or lose “safe harbor” protection under the IT Act, 2000. It also impacts the right to privacy (Article 21), including the right to encryption, as it aims to introduce traceability and break end-to-end encryption.</span>

<span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Such rules can cause a disproportionate impact on small intermediaries or platforms, especially alternative or open source platforms run by small entities who may not have the capacity to fulfil such compliance and conduct thorough content tracing.</span>

<span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The writ petition is currently pending in Delhi High Court.</span>

<span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: bold; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: underline; -webkit-text-decoration-skip: none; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Blocking Instances</span>

<span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Mass blockings mostly occur during any protests or large dissent against politically affiliated actors or the state. </span>

- <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">India: </span>
    - <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Geopolitical blockings such as TikTok and various Chinese apps</span>
    - <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">X handles and Youtube accounts during protests</span>
    - <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Entire websites, such as The Wire, Tamil news website, being taken down due to one published content</span>
    - <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Proton Mail - with the reasoning that there is low capacity of Indian nationality in its operations </span>
    - <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">OTT platforms - pornographic content</span>
- <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Pakistan: </span>
    - <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Youtube ban</span>
- <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Nepal</span>
    - <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Telegram</span>

<span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: bold; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: underline; -webkit-text-decoration-skip: none; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Other Legal Challenges in India</span>

- <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The blocking of two apps, Briar &amp; Element, versus UOI, were brought to court for the Intermediaries Rules 2021. Briar was accused of being used by terrorism in Kashmir, which became a reason for its blocking. Element is an open-sourced p2p network that is more secure than WhatsApp. </span>
- - <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Intermediaries Rules 2021 - Challenges pending before the Delhi High Court</span>
    - <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Blocking Rules - Confidentiality Provision - Supreme Court. The users do not get any information regarding the take down</span>
    - <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Delhi High Court - Powers given to law enforcement to take down content, which finally revealed the details on the orders for the take down. </span>
- <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Sahayog portal, where various agents can upload requests to take down certain content, was challenged by X at the Karnataka High Court. Unfortunately, the writ petition was dismissed with the appeal filed. </span>
- <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">High number of internet shutdowns in India: </span>[<span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #1155cc; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: underline; -webkit-text-decoration-skip: none; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">internetshutdowns.in</span>](http://internetshutdowns.in)

<span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: bold; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: underline; -webkit-text-decoration-skip: none; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Grievance Appellate Committee (GAC)</span>

<span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Handles appeals from users dissatisfied with decisions made by Grievance Officers (GO) of social media and other online intermediaries. Users can reach out to GAC if they do not receive any response from the GOs, and can be challenged in court.</span>

<span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">However, the GAC is not an independent body and is still largely governed and regulated by the state. There are no independent mechanisms and there is a huge lack of transparency in the structural and electoral processes. Some complaints are also filed once the platform responds with their defense. </span>

<span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: bold; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: underline; -webkit-text-decoration-skip: none; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Private actors and semi-private platforms’ accountability </span>

<span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Users can use copyright infringement as a loophole and excuse for indiscriminate take downs to navigate any unlawful content. However, platforms most often do not follow the law or the jurisdiction. For Copyright, the DMCA provision requires notification and counter notification in which the rights holder needs to produce proof of cases. Cases that are filed in a defective manner with the affected user may never get a notice. Independent journalists and smaller content creators do not have the resources to fight such takedowns.</span>

<span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Platforms also do not assume nor take accountability on taking down the harmful content even after filing the report on hate speech or OGBV. The platform’s own interest may go against the public good. </span>

<span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: bold; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: underline; -webkit-text-decoration-skip: none; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Organising and Mobilising on Platforms</span>

<span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Emerging digital spaces such as Discord, with gated servers, have become more central to grassroots mobilisation, like in Nepal, where online communities managed to drive political change through this platform. Youths were mostly moderating and mobilising, and is used as a communications channel to organise publicly.</span>

<span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">However, such platforms have a double-edged sword on its lack of regulation and high number of users, as users are free to post any content in which some could be unlawful or incite violence against another user. The anonymity also doesn’t promise absolute security, as there could be lurking surveillance from some actors or officers. The complexity of accessing Discord or platforms that are banned, which requires certain digital and technological literacy, means it's inaccessible to all communities and creates limitations in organising and mobilising. For example, only urban youths and digital literate people knew how to access Discord via VPN. </span>

<span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In Bangladesh, Facebook was being used for organising. </span>

<span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: bold; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">What is one provision in the law in your country that affects free speech in your country, that you would like to be amended or deleted? </span>

<span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">India: </span>

- <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Suggests to amend Section 292 of the Penal Code on obscenity in law, noting that it is meant to protect societal morality but often results in sexual-health educators and creators being wrongly flagged as “obscene.” The definition of obscenity is often being left vague, with legitimate educational content is often flagged while harmful misogynistic content is excused as free speech.</span>
    - <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Suggests that the definition of obscenity should be modernised and made more inclusive, protecting free speech while still allowing appropriate regulation.</span>
    - <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Notes that enforcement is a separate issue that also needs improvement.</span>
    - <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Notes that Section 67A of the Information Technology IT Act, 2000, which punishes publications or transmissions of materials containing sexually explicit acts, is sufficient. </span>
- <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Suggests abolishing Rule 31D of the IT Rules, which allows the government to issue immediate content-removal notices to intermediaries. </span>
    - <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Points out conflict with the Shreya Singhal judgment, with Sahyog portal, which established stronger safeguards and a defined blocking mechanism through courts.</span>
    - <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Emphasises that the current enforcement practices shape how “obscenity” takedowns occur, often without proper checks. The enforcement is placed on the intermediaries which often becomes compliant to the state</span>
    - <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Section 66(A) through judiciary measures is sufficient. Points out that India already has a court-based blocking mechanism with review committees, safeguards missing in Rule 31D.</span>
    - <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Warns that under state-level implementations, a single officer or telco authority may handle takedowns with no review mechanism, reducing accountability.</span>

<span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Bangladesh: </span>

- <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Cybersecurity Ordinance Act, which allows authorities such as the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) to order content takedowns based on vague orders and broad grounds (claimed to work against national unity and economic threats. </span>
    - <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Widely used by the previous regime, often without any judicial order.</span>
    - <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Suggests to amend to require a judicial oversight. </span>

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<span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: #339966; background-color: transparent; font-weight: bold; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Privacy, surveillance and data protection | 7:00 - 8:30 UTC</span>

<span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">👤 </span><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: bold; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Ashwini Natesan</span>

<span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Session details:</span>

<span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In this session, participants will learn to examine the different facets of individual privacy in the digital age and the regulations designed to protect these rights. They will investigate the impact of emerging technologies on decisional privacy by considering the various forms of surveillance currently deployed in society alongside the enabling legal frameworks. This session will further focus on the rise of surveillance-related policies and their implications for the protection and promotion of digital rights.</span>

- <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">What is privacy in the digital age and why is it important?</span>
- <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">What are the ways in which the internet and other digital technologies are being used to infringe privacy and engage in surveillance?</span>
- <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">What are the legal and regulatory frameworks in south Asia that protect privacy, including data protection laws? What are the challenges and gaps?</span>
- <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">What are the ways in which legal frameworks in South Asia are being used to enable surveillance?</span>
- <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">What is the impact of such policies on freedom of expression, assembly and association and other rights, esp for marginalised groups?</span>

<span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: bold; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: underline; -webkit-text-decoration-skip: none; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Definitions of Privacy</span>

<span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Participants’ answered to what does privacy mean to them: Freedom from prying eyes; Control over my information; Unnoticed; Freedom; Being myself; Human rights; Civilised society; Non interference; Personal space; Protection</span>

<span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Historically, the right to privacy was first defined as the ‘the right to be let alone’ (</span>[<span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #1155cc; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: underline; -webkit-text-decoration-skip: none; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Warren and Brandeis</span>](https://groups.csail.mit.edu/mac/classes/6.805/articles/privacy/Privacy_brand_warr2.html)<span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, 1890 Harvard Law article). For over a century, privacy law scholars labored to define the illusive concept of privacy. </span>

<span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The notion of ‘control’ acts as a common denominator, in which the definition of privacy is being reduced to: the control we have over information about and relating to ourselves. </span>

- <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The second group highlighted ‘access’ as the essence of privacy, </span><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">with a further subset called ‘secrecy’.</span>

[<span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #1155cc; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: underline; -webkit-text-decoration-skip: none; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">A Taxonomy of Privacy, Solove (2006) </span>](https://scholarship.law.upenn.edu/penn_law_review/vol154/iss3/1/)<span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">- identified there are lots of rights that can be classified under the umbrella of privacy, with 16 harmful activities recognised under the rubric of privacy, and further classifying them into 4 groups. The field of privacy law has expanded to encompass a broad range of Information-based harms, including from consumer manipulation to algorithmic bias.</span>

<span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Privacy by essence goes beyond data, as it affects the physical life. Every person should have autonomy on the information on their body, identity and physical space. For this discussion and based on the statutes and legislations available, privacy is narrowly defined under the banner of data protection. </span>

<span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: bold; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: underline; -webkit-text-decoration-skip: none; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Four Stages of Information and Data Management</span>

<span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">‘Data Subject’ is an individual whose data is being subjected/collected. There are four stages of processes that could happen to the data: </span>

- <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Information collection - What is the data being collected? Information that’s being collected to define you as an individual.</span>
    - <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Surveillance - intrusive</span>
    - <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">interrogation</span>
- <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Information processing- how is the information being used? </span>
    - <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Segregation</span>
    - <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Identification</span>
    - <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Insecurity</span>
    - <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Secondary use</span>
    - <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">exclusion</span>
- <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Information dissemination - where does the information get shared/dissemination? In most cases, some of the data are being shared without the knowledge of the data subject</span>
    - <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Breach of confidentiality </span>
    - <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Disclosure</span>
    - <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Exposure</span>
    - <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Increased accessibility</span>
    - <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Blackmail</span>
    - <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Appropriation</span>
    - <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">distortion</span>
- <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Invasions</span>
    - <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Intrusion</span>
    - <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Decisional interference - how we have autonomy to define the dissemination</span>

<span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: bold; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: underline; -webkit-text-decoration-skip: none; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Privacy Rights in the Digital Age</span>

<span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Privacy rights in the digital age are commonly understood as the right and expectation of individuals to control the collection, use, and sharing of their personal information (data, communications, conduct) in the digital realm. Not just secrecy, but autonomy and control over one’s digital self.</span>

- <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Key components:</span>
    - <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Information privacy: protection of personal data collected and stored by entities</span>
    - <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Communication privacy: protection against unauthorised interception or access to personal communications (e.g. emails, messages)</span>
    - <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Individual privacy/identity: safeguarding one’s digital identity and online persona</span>

<span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Privacy is often thought of as an individual interest, and does not breach into the public good. In this sense, privacy is often pitted against other rights and freedoms more broadly “social values” such as free speech, security, innovation, efficiency and transparency. </span>

<span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This view is narrow and does not capture privacy as a social value - in at least two ways:</span>

- <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Protects individuals for the sake of the greater social good. This leads into surveillance, in which the safeguards and transparency on its functions needed to be discussed more. </span>
- <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Construct societal frameworks that distribute power more fairly and productively. Power is often associated with state and government, but current markets show that private actors and sectors are also accountable.</span>

<span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The right to privacy aims to preserve human dignity and autonomy, as the latter is and should be non-negotiable. The right to make decisions is currently being influenced by parties who do not have our best interests in mind.</span>

- <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Prevents misuse and harm</span>
    - <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Identity theft and financial fraud</span>
    - <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Manipulation (eg through targeted disinformation)</span>
    - <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Cybercrime and online harassment</span>

<span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: bold; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: underline; -webkit-text-decoration-skip: none; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Contextual Understanding of Privacy</span>

<span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In the South Asia context, there is a lack of actual Data Protection Laws unlike in the Global North. Legislatively and culturally, privacy is not seen as a priority in most legislations, and sometimes ranked lower than other general rights. It has assumed a secondary role compared to other issues such as national security.</span>

<span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">As noted by Anuvind, it is often framed antithetical to certain positive actions, especially crime prevention, as if "nothing to hide means nothing to fear" - but rather than centering this discourse around the "misuse" of the right to privacy, it is often discussed as a reason to not have such a 'right to privacy' in the first place. </span>

<span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">However, the debate itself is wrong because it is mostly framed from the POV of someone else needing access to that information, rather than on the need and right for an individual to protect their own data. There is also no clarity on why other issues should be prioritised, when there is intersectionality in all cases. </span>

<span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: bold; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: underline; -webkit-text-decoration-skip: none; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Current Legal Frameworks</span>

- <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Sri Lanka: Modelled after EU GDPR. Focused on how the data is being processed and transferred. An individual has the right of information, in which they also have the power to deny information requests if the request does not align with your interest. </span>
- <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">India: Digital Personal Data Protection Act (DPDP) 2023, DPDP Rules 2025: defined a class called Significant Data Fiduciaries (SDFs) as the controller, who must follow stricter rules (e.g. appoint a Data Protection Officer). Individuals (‘data principles’) are granted rights such as access, correction and erasure of their data. There are heavy penalties for non-compliance </span>
    - <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">DPDP Rules - Phased implementation</span>
    - <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Eg: The SDF/Controller is an individual who is in charge of managing a personal database of the company’s frequent customers. The concern is when additional storage is required, the Controller would resort to using external services such as Cloud systems offered by other providers. The Cloud system would have their own processing of the data. </span>
- <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Bangladesh: Personal Data Protection Ordinance (PDPO): personal data refers to any information that can identify an individual - including names, addresses, financial information, location, health details, biometric data, and other information. </span>
- <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Pakistan: no law in place when it comes to Data Protection, currently being drafted. Currently there is some pushback from the US on Pakistan’s draft that is following the EU’s GDPR framework.</span>
- <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Nepal: Individual Privacy Act 2018 (“Act”) // Individual Privacy Regulation, 2020. Strives to protect the fundamental</span>

<span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: bold; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: underline; -webkit-text-decoration-skip: none; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Legal Challenges:</span>

- <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Enforcement mechanism, which should ideally be an independent regulatory body with clear appointment processes. </span>
- <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Broad exemptions for government agencies</span>
- <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Low public awareness and digital literacy due to the culture’s conversation on privacy in general</span>
- <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Existing laws do not sufficiently address risks like algorithmic bias and the need for transparency in automated decision-making. Many decisions are now automated with no human check-and-balance. </span>
    - <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Traditionally, GDPR is where protections are given for automated decision-making. For instance, a loan application being processed by an automated system that decides on the approval based on preset requirements without any additional nuances </span>
- <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Data protection frameworks often contain large, sweeping exemptions for “national security” or “public interest”</span>

<span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: bold; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: underline; -webkit-text-decoration-skip: none; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Consent</span>

<span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">‘Consent’ is rarely informed. Most laws have a provision that personal data can be collected, provided the individual consent to the processing of the data. But there is no real choice afforded in our terms and conditions (T&amp;C), Thus the flaw is that consent is assumed to be a catch all process. </span>

<span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Behavioral experiences noted that many users do not have time to go through the T&amp;C, and in some cases, do not have a choice in accepting the T&amp;C if there is a strong need to use the services. </span>

<span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The recent example of most platforms’ terms of service that automatically entails all user content will be used to train for LLM and it is difficult to opt out, and scraped data made without consent. This further pools into the extent to how much entities, corps, individuals, groups are allowed to have access to users. Some suggestions on user-empowering consent mechanisms should look like:</span>

- <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Option 1: to have a visible option to opt out from those services (when ideally there should also be a choice to opt in). If such a choice is not made available, consent is meaningless and the PDPR Act should interfere. An alternative is for the user to resist from providing any meaningful content (does not want the content to be shared for this purpose). </span>
- <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Option 2: If individuals need to navigate the providers, a third party should interfere. </span>
- <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Option 3: Consent should be renewed from time-to-time. Either by every update or every few years. </span>

<span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: bold; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: underline; -webkit-text-decoration-skip: none; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Surveillance by private actors and companies </span>

<span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Big Tech companies thrive on users’ data, evidently through targeted ads that are based on data collection and profiling. Companies collect vast amounts of user data via their digital footprint, which could be but not limited to: </span>

- - <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Social media: users own updates, engagements, networks and connections</span>
    - <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Apps and websites: browsing history, purchase patterns, cookies and trackers</span>
    - <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Smart devices (IoT): data on daily routines from smart speakers, fitness trackers, and connected cars</span>

<span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">These data are further integrated into the surveillance mechanism, where it is used to create detailed profiles for targeted advertising and market manipulation, often without the user’s full comprehension or meaningful consent (“consent fatigue”).</span>

<span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: underline; -webkit-text-decoration-skip: none; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Surveillance capitalism by Harvard economist Shoshana Zuboff explains it as: </span>

- <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Incursion - the user enters an area of data collection </span>
- <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Habituation - the user gains a habit and does not consider the repercussions</span>
- <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Adaption/Adaptation - the user agrees to the narrative</span>
- <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Redirection - the user is forced to focus on the little aspects being considered without looking at it holistically</span>

<span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: bold; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: underline; -webkit-text-decoration-skip: none; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The relationship between State and Private Actors </span>

- <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Surveillance capitalism is often being seen in insurance and government surveillance markets partnerships.</span>
- <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Aadhar Authentication for Good Governance (Social Welfare, Innovation, Knowledge) Amendment Rules, 2025. </span>
- <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Need to use data for the public good, but to be more transparent with the systems in place, ensuring that they protect and preserve rights. </span>
- <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Consent, particularly, on the reliance of another entity</span>
- <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">India can set the standard for ethical Digital ID governance. </span>

<span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: bold; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: underline; -webkit-text-decoration-skip: none; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">State Surveillance and Control </span>

- <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Mass surveillance through telecom metadata collection </span>
- <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Interception of communication (telecommunication)</span>
- <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Social media monitoring for dissent</span>
- <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Use of spyware (Recall Pegasus) and device hacking tools</span>
- <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Biometric national ID systems linked to services </span>

<span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: underline; -webkit-text-decoration-skip: none; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Case: India - Fundamental right - Justice K.S Puttaswamy (Retd) &amp; Anr vs Union of India</span>

- <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Privacy is deemed as a social construct. These observations from the Supreme Court in India pronounced privacy to be a distinct right under Article 21 of the Constitution - one that covered the body and mind, including decisions, choices, information and freedom</span>
- <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Specifically mentioning that it also focused on various safeguards that should be kept in case of national identities, rejects that privacy of an individual is an elitist construct. </span>

<span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; overflow: hidden; width: 624px; height: 344px;">![](https://wiki.asia.apc.org/uploads/images/gallery/2025-12/embedded-image-18zjrbmn.png)</span></span>

<span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: bold; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: underline; -webkit-text-decoration-skip: none; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Impact on Freedoms (Expression, Assembly, Association)</span>

<span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Chilling effect on FoE: </span>

- <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Suppression of Assembly and Association</span>
    - <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Used to identify organisers and participants of peaceful protests</span>
    - <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Monitor private communications related to political organising or trade union activities, thereby chilling the right to association</span>
    - <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In extreme cases, arbitrary detention or legal action under vaguely worded security laws</span>
- <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Targeting and discrimination</span>
    - <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Human rights defenders or journalists</span>
    - <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Ethnic and religious minorities</span>
    - <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Women and LGBTQ+ communities</span>
- <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Digital exclusion: </span>
    - <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Lack of safeguards, especially in the context of digital ID systems, can be used as a tool of exclusion, denying access to public services or provisions for those who cannot or will not provide extensive personal data</span>

<span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: bold; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: underline; -webkit-text-decoration-skip: none; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Can there be lawful and justified surveillance?</span>

<span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In the opinion of yes, there needs to be surveillance that has to go through the principles of: </span>

- <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Legality - accordance with a law</span>
- <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Legitimate aim that does not require an extremely invasive measure </span>
- <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Suitability - adequacy</span>
- <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Necessity (least restrictive measure) &amp; proportionality stricto sensu - the harm caused to the individual by the restriction must not be excessive in relation to the benefit gained by achieving the public interest aim</span>
- <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Procedural safeguards which should entails having an independent regulatory committee, that determines any rules or regulations before conducting the surveillance</span>

<span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Private actors can be held accountable by having a strong data protection law in place, followed by strong law enforcement and implementations. Since 2018, the instances of EU GDPR enforcement particularly against BigTech has been very encouraging in showing that an individual's access to their rights can be achieved through judiciary and other mechanisms. </span>

<span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: bold; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: underline; -webkit-text-decoration-skip: none; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Concluding Thoughts</span>

<span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Privacy is essential for autonomy and democratic rights. With the spread of biometric ID systems, SA faces growing concerns over surveillance. This can be mitigated by strong independent oversight, governed by a strong Data Protection Act. </span>

<span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Civil society should also play a bigger role in safeguarding the rights. </span>

<span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">As an individual, one need to constantly ask: </span>

- <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">How is the data being shared?</span>
- <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">What is it being shared for?</span>
- <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Where is it being shared?</span>
- <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">What are the protection mechanisms?</span>

<span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Reflection questions: </span>

- <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Privacy as a right is not only about protection personal data (but, we are limited to this because of the statutes and laws we currently have)</span>
- <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Surveillance is not limited to the State but also to private actors</span>
- <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">What are some of the use cases in your State for surveillance?</span>
- <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Are the measures justified under the human rights test of legality and proportionality?</span>

- - - - - -

  
<span style="font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: bold; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Group Discussion - privacy and surveillance: </span>[<span data-rich-links="{"fple-t":"Group 3 - Case Study on Privacy and Surveillance_South Asia","fple-u":"https://docs.google.com/document/d/1rNlTls08lK0Z3nWwljW06ZDPoQw7hqzVkSzkqD4Yf-8/edit?tab=t.0","fple-mt":"application/vnd.google-apps.kix","type":"first-party-link"}" style="font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #1155cc; background-color: transparent; font-weight: bold; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: underline; -webkit-text-decoration-skip: none; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Group 3 - Case Study on Privacy and Surveillance\_South Asia</span>](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1rNlTls08lK0Z3nWwljW06ZDPoQw7hqzVkSzkqD4Yf-8/edit?tab=t.0)

- <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The current laws give the government too much power on what they can do, rather than on what they cannot or should not do. </span>
- <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The government will push against the universities if they do not comply</span>

# Day 3 Report

***(To be updated)***

# 🐋 Workshop policies & governing rules



# Code of conduct and principles of participation

<span style="font-weight: 400;">The Association for Progressive Communications is committed to providing a safe and welcoming environment for discussing issues related to its community. The APC Community comprises members of the network, all APC staff and team and its larger network of partners, friends and allies. </span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">The code of conduct and ground rules apply to this meeting, all APC hosted events, conference-related social events, such as parties or gatherings at restaurants or bars and spaces, and includes our mailing lists, wikis, platforms, websites and any other spaces that APC hosts, both online and offline. Participants are responsible for knowing and abiding by these guidelines. In this event, the code applies to anyone who is part of the event, which includes organisers, resource persons and participants. </span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">All APC meetings, virtual and physical meetings, are intended to be </span>**SAFE** <span style="font-weight: 400;">spaces and we ask participants to be guided by the following:</span>

<span style="color: #000000;">**<span style="color: #0000ff;">|</span>Be respectful**</span>

<span style="color: #000000;">**<span style="color: #0000ff;">|</span>Listen actively**</span>

<span style="color: #000000;">**<span style="color: #0000ff;">|</span>Be respectful of others’ views even when you disagree**</span>

<span style="color: #000000;">**<span style="color: #0000ff;">|</span>Be collaborative**</span>

<span style="color: #000000;">**<span style="color: #0000ff;">|</span>Recognise diversity**</span>

<span style="color: #000000;">**<span style="color: #0000ff;">|</span>Respect privacy of participants**</span>

<span style="color: #000000;">**<span style="color: #0000ff;">|</span>Ask for consent for photography, audio-visual recordings or quotes**</span>

<span style="color: #000000;">**<span style="color: #0000ff;">|</span>Be aware of language diversity**</span>

<span style="color: #000000;">**<span style="color: #0000ff;">|</span>Handle disagreement constructively**</span>

<span style="color: #000000;">**<span style="color: #0000ff;">|</span>Act fairly, honestly, and in good faith with other participants**</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">It is vital that discussions include and acknowledge a diversity of opinions and experiences, and that the community does not tolerate harassment of any kind. </span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">We expect the members of the APC community to treat one another with respect and to acknowledge that everyone can make a valuable contribution. We may not always agree, but the space and conversation must always have openness to positions that may not be aligned or in agreement. Frustration cannot turn into a personal attack. It's important to remember that a community where people feel uncomfortable or threatened is not a productive one, and that the meeting conduct and ground rules are anchored in the APC values we have all committed to uphold. It is our collective responsibility to ensure that we create a safe, creative, productive and welcoming space that can hold us in all of our diversity.</span>

**We will take action in response to harassment related to gender, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, body size, race, nationality, caste, ethnicity or religion. APC does not tolerate harassment of participants in any form.**

### **Definitions**

##### **Harassment** 

<span style="font-weight: 400;">includes, but is not limited to:</span>

<div id="bkmrk-offensive-comments-r"><div><div>- <span style="font-weight: 400;">Offensive comments related to gender, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, disability, mental illness, neuro(a)typicality, physical appearance, body size, race, caste, ethnicity or religion.</span>
- <span style="font-weight: 400;">Unwelcome comments regarding a person’s lifestyle choices and practices, including those related to food, health, parenting, drugs, and employment.</span>
- <span style="font-weight: 400;">Physical contact and simulated physical contact without consent or after a request to stop.</span>
- <span style="font-weight: 400;">Deliberate intimidation.</span>
- <span style="font-weight: 400;">Sustained disruption of discussion.</span>
- <span style="font-weight: 400;">Continued one-on-one communication after requests to cease.</span>
- <span style="font-weight: 400;">Sexual harassment </span>

</div></div></div>##### **Sexual harassment** 

<span style="font-weight: 400;">is a broad term. For the purposes of this event it is defined as:</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Any unwelcome sexual advance in the form of words, images, gestures or physical contact in physical, digital or communication spaces which may reasonably be expected, or be perceived, to cause distress, intimidation, fear, humiliation, or harm to another. The term also covers any request for a sexual favour, or a threat of a sexual nature. Sexual harassment may occur in any space, including the workplace. This includes activities of face-to-face meetings, virtual meetings and digital communication of all kinds. It can be a one-time incident or a series of incidents. Sexual harassment may be unintended, deliberate, or coercive. Sexual harassment may occur both within formal working hours and spaces, and outside these. Men, women, non-binary, transitioning and transgender individuals may be victims or offenders.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Sexual harassment may result in discrimination, and it may create a hostile working environment. Other forms of behaviour which cause discrimination, fear, and/or a hostile working environment may be implicated in sexual harassment, such as harassment based on race, gender, sexuality, national origin, physical appearance, age, ancestry, disability, economic disparity, nationality, or religious or spiritual beliefs. APC recognises that APC's staff members, partners and event participants are from diverse contexts, and that sexual harassment experiences are embedded within the cultural, social, historical and personal contexts.</span>

> **Sexual harassment should not be confused with unintentional careless communication in a diverse working environment, or with our efforts to create a working culture which is open to conversations on sexuality and human rights.**

<span style="font-weight: 400;">We understand that the impact of sexual harassment on APC's working culture can be highly destructive, and we understand the harmful impact of sexual harassment on any person’s work, mind and body.</span>

##### **Examples of sexual harassment include (but are not limited to):**

<div id="bkmrk-gratuitous-or-off-to"><div><div>- <span style="font-weight: 400;">Gratuitous or off-topic sexual images or behaviour in spaces where they are not appropriate.</span>
- <span style="font-weight: 400;">Unwelcome sharing of sexualised content in visual, audio or text form</span>
- <span style="font-weight: 400;">Deliberate stalking, following or intimidation, online and/or offline</span>
- <span style="font-weight: 400;">Harassing photography, video or audio recording</span>
- <span style="font-weight: 400;">Inappropriate and/or unwanted physical contact</span>
- <span style="font-weight: 400;">Unwelcome sexual attention, in any form of communication</span>
- <span style="font-weight: 400;">Requests for sexual favours, verbal or physical contact of a sexual nature in exchange for an opportunity</span>
- <span style="font-weight: 400;">Threats, either explicit or implicit, to withdraw an opportunity or resources unless sexual contact and/or communication is permitted</span>
- <span style="font-weight: 400;">Advocating for, or encouraging, any of the above behaviour.</span>

</div></div></div><span style="font-weight: 400;">If you believe you have been harassed, or notice that someone else is being harassed, or have any other concerns, you are encouraged to raise your concerns in confidence to the Event Incidents Team.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">APC commits that each case will be considered, and concrete actions will be taken as appropriate.</span>

<p class="callout info">***Please refer to***[ ***APC’s sexual harassment policy***](https://www.apc.org/sites/default/files/APC_Sexual_Harassment_Policy_v5.1_June_2016.pdf) ***for how APC responds to sexual harassment.***</p>

### **Code of Conduct and Anti-Harassment Policy Response Process**

<span style="font-weight: 400;">If you are being harassed by a member of the community or a participant or organiser at the workshop, or have any other concerns, please contact a member of the Event Incidents Team. </span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">When a complaint is made or an incident occurs that breaches this code, the </span>**Event Incidents Team**<span style="font-weight: 400;"> will confidentially review and respond to any participant who has experienced harassment or inappropriate behaviour.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">If the person who is harassing you is on the Event Incidents Team, they will recuse themselves from handling your incident. If the person who is harassing you is a member of the organising team, they will not receive differential treatment than any other participant in the handling of the complaint.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">We will try to respond as promptly to complaints as we can. These steps will be taken once you make a complaint:</span>

<div id="bkmrk-one-or-more-members-"><div><div>1. <span style="font-weight: 400;">One or more members of the Event Incidents team will discuss the issue with you.</span>
2. <span style="font-weight: 400;">They may take notes, with your consent, of what you say.</span>
3. <span style="font-weight: 400;">One or more members of the Events Incidents team will separately speak with the person(s) against whom the complaint is lodged.</span>
4. <span style="font-weight: 400;">The process will involve attaining resolution while ensuring safety, dignity and respect for everyone involved.</span>

</div></div></div><span style="font-weight: 400;">If a participant engages in harassing behaviour, the Response Team may take any action they deem appropriate, up to and including expulsion from all APC spaces during the event, and identification of the participant as a harasser to other APC members or the general public. The Event Incidents team will prioritise marginalised people’s safety over privileged people’s comfort.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Any member of the Event Incidents Team can be contacted with any questions or concerns participants may have throughout the duration of an APC event. Anonymous complaints can be reported to the team via email.</span>

***Names and contact information of the Event Incidents Team are as follows:***

- Pavitra Ramanujam - pavitra@apc.org
- Cho Thazin Aung - cho@apc.org

# 🧊 Others



# Feedback

##### Your feedback matters! Please take a few minutes to complete the post-workshop [**survey**](https://s.apc.org/JPdopH).

##### <iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" class="giphy-embed" data-mce-fragment="1" frameborder="0" height="300" src="https://giphy.com/embed/NbsTGeXCdr2vR1Myze" width="300"></iframe>

# Zoom Backgrounds

##### **Please download the Zoom background from <span style="color: #ff6600;">[this link](https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1L1__UDZ58ooYRw68Q4ZpWGHKvIl5fKbV?usp=sharing)</span>.**

# South Asia Spotify Splaylist

#### **Let’s exchange our favourite music! Feel free to drop your favourite songs into this playlist - we’ll play them throughout the break.**

##### <span style="color: #008000;">🎶 <span style="color: #33cccc;">Click <span style="color: #0000ff;">[here](https://wiki.asia.apc.org/<iframe%20data-testid=%22embed-iframe%22%20style=%22border-radius:12px%22%20src=%22https:/open.spotify.com/embed/playlist/0Uv4wp5DeXeRbmg4MDoXwi?utm_source=generator%22%20width=%22100%%22%20height=%22352%22%20frameBorder=%220%22%20allowfullscreen=%22%22%20allow=%22autoplay;%20clipboard-write;%20encrypted-media;%20fullscreen;%20picture-in-picture%22%20loading=%22lazy%22></iframe>)</span> for the playlist</span> </span>

<span style="color: #008000;"><iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-testid="embed-iframe" frameborder="0" height="352" src="https://open.spotify.com/embed/playlist/0Uv4wp5DeXeRbmg4MDoXwi?utm_source=generator" style="border-radius: 12px;" width="100%"></iframe></span>