Privacy Rights

Centre pulls pre-installation mandate for Sanchar Saathi app after backlash

The Ministry of Communications said that given the surge in voluntary downloads of Sanchar Saathi, pre-installation of the app will not be mandatory for manufacturers

Unconstitutional: Congress slams mandatory Sanchar Saathi pre-installation

The Congress on Monday rejected the directions of the Department of Telecommunications on pre-installation of the Sanchar Saathi app in new mobile handsets as unconstitutional, and demanded its immediate rollback. Congress general secretary K C Venugopal said that the right to privacy is an intrinsic part of the fundamental right to life and liberty. Big Brother cannot watch us. This DoT direction is beyond unconstitutional. The Right to Privacy is an intrinsic part of the fundamental right to life and liberty, enshrined in Article 21 of the Constitution. A pre-loaded government app that cannot be uninstalled is a dystopian tool to monitor every Indian. It is a means to watch over every movement, interaction and decision of each citizen, Venugopal said in a post on X. The move, he alleged, is part of the long series of "relentless assaults" on the Constitutional rights of Indian citizens, which will not be allowed to continue. We reject this direction and demand its immediate ...

Cambridge Analytica case: Zuckerberg's Meta settles claims for $190 million

Representatives of Menlo Park, California-based Meta and Zuckerberg didn't immediately return emails seeking comment on the settlement

Delhi HC protects singer Kumar Sanu's personality, publicity rights

The Delhi High Court on Wednesday protected the personality and publicity rights of singer Kumar Sanu, and directed removal of objectionable videos against him from social media. Justice Manmeet Pritam Singh Arora orally said it would pass a detailed interim injunction order protecting Sanu's rights and ordering take down of offending material. The court was hearing Sanu's plea seeking protection of his personality and publicity rights, including his name, voice, vocal style and technique, vocal arrangements and interpretations, mannerisms and manner of singing, images, caricatures, photographs, likeness and signature. The singer has also sought protection against unauthorised or unlicensed use and commercial exploitation by third parties, which is likely to create confusion or deception and dilution among the public. During the hearing, the court noted that the counsel for one of the defendants submitted that Sanu has raised a grievance regarding four profiles on Facebook and ...

Filmmaker Karan Johar moves Delhi HC for protection of personality rights

Filmmaker and producer Karan Johar on Monday approached the Delhi High Court, seeking protection of his personality and publicity rights. The plea came up for hearing before Justice Manmeet PS Arora, who sought certain clarifications from the counsel for Johar and listed the matter for 4 pm for further proceedings. Besides protection of his personality and publicity rights, Johar has also urged the court to pass an order directing certain websites and platforms not to illegally sell merchandise, including mugs and t-shirts, bearing his name and image. "I have a right to ensure that no one unauthorisedly uses my persona, face or voice," senior advocate Rajshekhar Rao, appearing for Johar, said. The right to publicity, popularly known as personality rights, is the right to protect, control and profit from one's image, name or likeness.

Addition of OTP feature on RTI portal meant to protect user privacy: Centre

The recent introduction of a one-time password (OTP) feature for the RTI portal is meant to protect user privacy, the Centre said on Thursday. The Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) has examined the concerns raised about the functioning of the Right to Information (RTI) portal -- www.rtionline.gov.in -- and clarified that the system is operational and effective after the introduction of a new OTP feature, an official statement said. The portal allows an user to file RTI applications, appeals and to know their status. A comprehensive review by the DoPT has confirmed that the portal's newly-implemented features, including an enhanced security protocol, are operational and user-friendly, it said. Responding to issues reported by some users, the DoPT said the OTP feature, introduced on January 2, 2025, has been implemented to authenticate users and protect sensitive personal information included in the RTI applications. By ensuring only authorised access, the measure strength

Is Digi Yatra data shared with I-T dept to catch tax evaders? Govt says no

Digi Yatra data stored on airport systems is automatically purged within 24 hours of a flight's departure, says aviation ministry

Employee lawsuit claims Apple spies on workers even at home, gags speech

Amar Bhakta, who has been part of Apple's digital advertising team since 2020, claims the tech giant places significant restrictions on work devices

Plea filed in Delhi HC against mobile apps sharing vehicle owners' details

In addition, the apps in question were allegedly providing sensitive insurance and finance-related details

Advocacy group accuses Mozilla of tracking user behaviour without consent

Open-source Firefox was once a top browser choice among users due to its privacy features but now lags market leader Google

Audit bodies must address risks of privacy breaches, exclusion: CAG Murmu

Public audit bodies must address growing risks such as -- privacy breaches, algorithmic biases, and social exclusion, as governments are increasing adopting AI and emerging technologies to deliver services, CAG of India Girish Chandra Murmu said on Tuesday. Supreme Audit Institutions (SAIs) have the responsibility to scrutinize whether these advancements serve all citizens fairly and inclusively, ensuring no one is left behind, he said in his address to the 16th Assembly of Asian Organization of Supreme Audit Institutions, or the ASOSAI. The impact of climate change alone, expected to cause trillions in economic losses, demands urgent SAI-led audits of adaptation and mitigation strategies, he said. Today more than ever, Supreme Audit Institutions (SAIs) are at the forefront of critical oversight, ensuring public funds are safeguarded, particularly in times of unprecedented crises, he said. "Whether during the pandemic, in the fight against climate change, or in advancing the ...

Supreme Court to examine plea on 'right to be forgotten': What it means?

'Right to be forgotten' also known as the 'right to erasure' deals with individual rights to have control of the use of personal data by organisations

Kerala HC upholds employee's right to freedom of speech on WhatsApp

An employee challenged his suspension and disciplinary punishment for sharing safety concerns in a private WhatsApp group

Wells Fargo fires staff for faking keyboard activity: How do employers spy?

Reports of employees using software to simulate mouse activity on devices to deceive their companies during work hours have surged since the Covid-19 pandemic

Karan Johar files lawsuit against film 'Shaadi ke Director Karan aur Johar'

Bollywood producer Karan Johar has moved to Bombay High Court against film's producers, IndiaPride Advisory, Sanjay Singh, and writer-director Bablu Singh for using his name without permission

US lawmakers propose new rules to protect personal data, strengthen privacy

Two influential lawmakers from opposing parties have crafted a deal on legislation designed to strengthen privacy protections for Americans' personal data. The sweeping proposal announced Sunday evening would define privacy as a consumer right and create new rules for companies that collect and use personal information. It comes from the offices of Democratic Sen. Maria Cantwell and Republican Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, both of Washington state. Cantwell chairs the Senate Commerce Committee while McMorris Rodgers leads the House Energy and Commerce Committee. While the proposal has not been formally introduced and remains in draft form, the bipartisan support suggests the bill could get serious consideration. Congress has long discussed ways to protect the personal data regularly submitted by Americans to a wide range of businesses and services. But partisan disputes over the details have doomed previous proposals. According to a one-page outline released Sunday, the bill worked

Meta pushes back on US FTC's attempt to amend 2020 privacy settlement

The agency has accused Meta of misleading parents about protections for children

Asci bats for 'privacy by design' to reduce need to take consent from users

Asci said that before the final data protection rules in India are notified, advertisement companies must also undertake data audits to check their preparedness

Does govt-backed DigiYatra store passengers' personal data? Centre explains

Digi Yatra uses facial recognition technology for entry and security clearance at various airports in India. The air travel online platform is voluntary

Recording conversations without person's knowledge violates privacy rights

The Chhattisgarh High Court has ruled that recording the mobile phone conversation of a person without the latter's knowledge amounts to violation of the right to privacy under Article 21 of the Constitution. The HC was earlier this month hearing a petition moved by a 38-year-old woman challenging a family court's order allowing her husband's application in a maintenance case pending since 2019. The HC observed that the husband recording his wife's phone conversation without her knowledge amounts to violation of her right to privacy and also the petitioner's right guaranteed under Article 21 of the Constitution. The woman had moved an application for grant of maintenance from her 44-year-old husband at the family court in Mahasamund district. The man moved the family court seeking re-examination of his wife on the ground that certain conversation was recorded on the mobile phone and he wanted to cross-examine the petitioner and confront her with the conversation recorded on the ...