[6 Feb 2017] Circuit: Tomorrow is Safer Internet Day #SID2017

Lets Unite for a Safer Internet.

Tomorrow is Safer Internet Day or as it is known on the twitters -#SID2017. And what better day to launch edition 2 of Circuit – our monthly newsletter on Children, Safety & the Internet. This month it features loads and loads of internet safety resources that you can use and share on this day. And then, we have some good news, some bad news and news about how the world is going to change irrecoverably and beyond all recognition.

You know, just like your typical, everyday newsletter about the internet. Read on.

Aarambh India’s All New Online Safety Page

Introducing: version 2.0 of Aarambh India’s Online Safety Page. As usual, we trawled the internet for authentic and redoubtable sources of information, from the NSPCC to Edward Snowden. We curated some and we created others.

The page attempts to recognize that internet is neither just “a tool” or “an innovation for good” or “an instrument of evil”. It is a complex and paradoxical entity and must be treated as such. Learning about using it safely and securely yourself and teaching your children about it is the first step towards enabling them to avoid the risks.

We have FAQs for starters, pieces on Grooming, Inappropriate Content, Pornography, CSAM, Sexting, Fake News, Cyberbullying, Privacy, Age Appropriate Safety, Hacking, Posters & Videos. If we are missing something or getting something wrong, reply and let us know. If you have something to contribute, please send it in as well.

Do We Have the Right to be Forgotten on the Internet?

The Internet, quite famously, never forgets. Nonetheless, there have been frequent attempts to challenge this property and induce a sort of selective amnesia for a variety of reasons. It is a contentious issue as it directly conflicts with our right to know. Recently, two cases which hinged on the same were discussed in the Indian courts.

Delhi Denies – In the Delhi High Court, an NRI wanted to de-link his name from a criminal case involving his wife. He petitioned that despite the case being settled amicably, the online mentions were affecting his right to privacy, his reputation and employment. It called into question whether data controllers (like Google) are required to delete inadequate information. Google contended that the petition was misconceived and that there is no reason for creation of a separate legal framework under ‘right to be forgotten’ to delink ‘irrelevant information’. And that if the content was found ‘defamatory’, there are existing provisions under which it could be taken down.

Karnataka Upholds – A woman approached the Karnataka High Court to remove her name from the High Court digital records which mentioned her in relation to a case of some sort of marital discord. The woman claimed that the mention was affecting her relationship with her husband and her reputation. The court directed its registry to make sure that any internet search made in the public domain would not reflect the woman’s name. It observed that this was in line with the trend in Western countries of the ‘right to be forgotten’ in sensitive cases involving women, .

And meanwhile in Japan, the court denied the ‘right to be forgotten’ to an offender previously convicted on charges of child sexual abuse material.

Staggering Child Sexual Abuse Material Numbers Reported in India

A couple of weeks ago, The Times of India reported staggering, never before heard, utterly shocking numbers for child sexual abuse material being shared from IP addresses registered to India. The city of Amritsar was reported sharing 4.3 lakh files. New Delhi was haring 2.3 lakhs and Lucknow 1.7 lakhs. 3 cities in Kerala were in the top 10. What was unclear from the reports were the source and nature of the data. When Aarambh India asked around for sources it was mentioned that the source was available only for Law Enforcement Agencies. There was no clarity of whether the images were known or unknown, or what was used to track these files.

The BackPage Saga

Backpage – the infamous internet classifieds websites which hosted ads featuring underage and trafficked children, after years of legal conflict, volunteered to shut down their adult section. The censorship was self-imposed despite the courts ruling in their favor and finding them not liable as they were considered ‘intermediaries’ for the content. It seems like the right thing was done but what is worrying, that like so many things these days, it seems to have been done under the wrong rubric. Thereby setting a worrying precedent for harassment & scapegoating.

Artificial Intellgence trumps Human Experts in Poker Game

In a crushing blow to humanity and laying the ground for our future robot overlords, an artifical intelligence named Libratus beat four of the world’s best poker players. It’s a momentous achievement as unlike chess, poker is far more complex and deals with ‘bluffing’ & correctly interpreting misleading information. So its time to get the kids up-to-speed on AI & robotics and this unique program that aims to teach young girls how to code and make robots seems like good place to start.

Also in Happy News, read about how facebook & whatsapp helped reunite a missing man with his family.

Thanks for reading. See you next month!
Subscribe to the Aarambh India newsletters at this link.