Internet Freedom Foundation (IFF) is an Indian non-governmental organisation that conducts advocacy on digital rights and liberties, based in

New Delhi New Delhi (, , ''Naī Dillī'') is the capital of India and a part of the National Capital Territory of Delhi (NCT). New Delhi is the seat of all three branches of the government of India, hosting the Rashtrapati Bhavan, Parliament House ...

. IFF files petitions and undertakes advocacy campaigns to defend online freedom,

privacy Privacy (, ) is the ability of an individual or group to seclude themselves or information about themselves, and thereby express themselves selectively. The domain of privacy partially overlaps with security, which can include the concepts of a ...

, net neutrality, and innovation.

Background

The Internet Freedom Foundation was formed out of the SaveTheInternet.in campaign which was a volunteer-driven campaign. The campaign in support of net neutrality garnered over 1.2 million signatures and led the

TRAI TRAI (Telecom Regulatory Authority of India) is a statutory body set up by the Government of India. TRAI or Trai may also refer to: People Trai is a masculine given name which has its root in Middle English. Notable people with the name include: ...

to prohibit discriminatory practices by companies on the internet. To enable structured engagement, the volunteers of the SaveTheInternet.in campaign established IFF to work on issues of privacy, free speech, net neutrality, and innovation on the internet.

Activities

IFF undertakes advocacy campaigns against blocking of websites, technology related interference in elections, free speech violations, internet censorship, and defends encryption.

Projects

Zombie Tracker

Zombie Tracker is a tool built by IFF in partnership with Civic Data labs to track cases under Section 66A as a "data-driven evidence-based solution" to highlight the continued use of Section 66A, which was struck down by the Supreme Court of India in Shreya Singhal v. Union of India.

Project Panoptic

Project Panoptic tracks the development and implementation of facial recognition technology projects in India with an aim to increase transparency and accountability around the use of Facial recognition technology in India. The tracker was built by IFF along with volunteers from Datakind and Frappe. As of November 2021, Project Panoptic has been tracking 78 FRT projects across the country, with an estimated cost of 9.6 billion rupees. IFF's Project Panoptic along with

Amnesty International Amnesty International (also referred to as Amnesty or AI) is an international non-governmental organization focused on human rights, with its headquarters in the United Kingdom. The organization says it has more than ten million members and sup ...

and Article 19, launched the Hyderabad leg of BanTheScan campaign. Hyderabad is one of the most surveilled cities in the world, with 600,000 cameras monitoring its citizens all the time.

Digital Patrakar Defence Clinic

Digital Patrakar Defense Clinic ( DPDC) offers pro-bono legal assistance and representation to Indian journalists, cartoonists, bloggers, and any individuals who use the medium of the internet to report on daily affairs.

Campaigns and Legislative Work

In March 2017, IFF drafted a law to reform India's defamation law which was introduced in

Lok Sabha The Lok Sabha, constitutionally the House of the People, is the lower house of India's bicameral Parliament, with the upper house being the Rajya Sabha. Members of the Lok Sabha are elected by an adult universal suffrage and a first-past ...

as a Private Member's Bill by Tathagata Satpathy. The bill garnered more than 2000 signatures and 54 organisational supporters, including India's largest publishing houses. In April 2017, IFF launched a campaign against internet shutdowns in India called KeepUsOnline. They petitioned the

Prime Minister A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister is not ...

and the Union Minister for Electronics and Information Technology to introduce credible measures to stop arbitrary internet shutdowns in India.

Save Our Privacy

Launched in 2018, SaveOurPrivacy is a public initiative launched by a collective of 35 organizations including IFF, which put across a model draft law called "Indian Privacy Code, 2018". The code has seven core principles, one of which calls for surveillance reform. It advocates for a law that limits mass or 'dragnet' surveillance, and lays down clear rules governing individual surveillance. It also seeks the strengthening and protection of the right to information. After going through multiple revisions, the draft was filed as a private member's bill in the parliament, twice. The collective creates resources for public awareness and continuously engages with government representatives.

Litigation

IFF has petitioned or intervened in cases relating to Whatsapp Privacy, the Right to be Forgotten, CCTV surveillance, PUBG bans,

Section 66A The Information Technology Act, 2000 (also known as ITA-2000, or the IT Act) is an Act of the Indian Parliament (No 21 of 2000) notified on 17 October 2000. It is the primary law in India dealing with cybercrime and electronic commerce. Seco ...

arrests, Aadhaar Social-Media Linking.

Publications

IFF publishes open working papers from fellows. The first research paper by Nakul Nayak studied the law and impact of internet shutdowns in India, and the second research paper by Apar Gupta and Abhinav Sekhri called attention to the continued use of Section 66A of the IT Act, despite the

Supreme Court A supreme court is the highest court within the hierarchy of courts in most legal jurisdictions. Other descriptions for such courts include court of last resort, apex court, and high (or final) court of appeal. Broadly speaking, the decisions of ...

striking it down.

Support

IFF is a donor-driven organisation with recurring monthly payment subscriptions for members. It is also organisationally supported by Indian startups such as Zerodha, Sharechat (2019-2020), OML, Devfolio and Doosra. In 2021 IFF received a grant from

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...

. It also publishes monthly transparency reports.

References

External links

* {{official website, https://internetfreedom.in/ 2016 establishments in India Computer law organizations Digital rights organizations