The tweets, re-tweets and discussions on Twitter around the protests, that shook China last month and challenged the authority of Xi Jinping since the leader came to power, had a focal point on the micro-blogging site - a Chinese account with a cat avatar.&nbsp;

As people carried out protests calling for ending the zero-Covid restrictions and more freedom, live tweets were shared by the account “Teacher Li is Not Your Teacher” about these demonstrations in real-time, reflecting how fast the call for dissent reverberates across the nation.

The accounts, photos as well as videos were being censored swiftly online in China. However, those who knew how to break the Great Firewall were able to send photos and videos to “Teacher Li,” which eventually became one of the most important sources of information for Chinese people and the world.&nbsp;

ALSO READ|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/high-level-us-delegation-to-visit-china-next-week-541943">High-level US delegation to visit China next week</a>

The man running the account, Li, is a 30-year-old painter who wears spectacles and spends most of his time sitting on a chair in front of a monitor and a keyboard in his living room in Italy, CNN reported.

During those days, he would go through an endless number of private messages in his inbox about the updates regarding the protests. He would then post those videos on the behalf of the people while hiding the senders from Chinese authorities' scrutiny.

“This account may become a symbol that Chinese people are still pursuing freedom of speech. When you post something within China, it will quickly disappear. This account can document all these historical events and moments that cannot be saved inside the country,” Li said.&nbsp;

In two weeks, his number of followers quadrupled to more than 800,000. His feed was closely monitored by activists and journalists and some television channels also aired his posts across the world.&nbsp;

WATCH|

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/china-covid-xi-administration-gradually-dismantles-zero-covid-policy-541962/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Under China's surveillance

With the increase in the number of followers, Li's account also caught the attention of Chinese authorities. Days back when Li was tweeting, he received his parents' anxious phone call from eastern China as they informed him about another visit from the police officials.

“As soon as I started to update Twitter, they called my parents to tell me to stop posting. And then they went to our house at midnight to harass my parents,” Li stated.

This was the second visit by police in a day. A local police chief, accompanied by some officers, had visited Li's parents in the morning and had accused Li of “attacking the state and the (Communist) Party” and had shown to them a list of tweets shared by him as “criminal evidence”.

“They wanted to know if there were any foreign forces behind me, whether I received any money, or paid people money for their submissions,” Li stated. Li informed his parents that no money was involved and he is not working for anyone. He said that his father requested him to “pull back from the brink” and not post.&nbsp;

“I can’t turn back now. Please don’t worry about me. I don’t think I’m doing anything wrong,” Li told his father.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies) 
&nbsp;

<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/live-tv/embed?autoplay=1&amp;mute=1" width="100%"></iframe>

The tweets, re-tweets and discussions on Twitter around the protests, that shook China last month and challenged the authority of Xi Jinping since the leader came to power, had a focal point on the micro-blogging site - a Chinese account with a cat avatar.

The tweets, re-tweets and discussions on Twitter around the protests, that shook China last month and challenged the authority of Xi Jinping since the leader came to power, had a focal point on the micro-blogging site - a Chinese account with a cat avatar. As people carried out protests calling for ending the zero-Covid restrictions and more freedom, live tweets were shared by the account “Teacher Li is Not Your Teacher” about these demonstrations in real-time, reflecting how fast the call for dissent reverberates across the nation. The accounts, photos as well as videos were being censored swiftly online in China. However, those who knew how to break the Great Firewall were able to send photos and videos to “Teacher Li,” which eventually became one of the most important sources of information for Chinese people and the world. ALSO READ| High-level US delegation to visit China next week The man running the account, Li, is a 30-year-old painter who wears spectacles and spends most of his time sitting on a chair in front of a monitor and a keyboard in his living room in Italy, CNN reported. During those days, he would go through an endless number of private messages in his inbox about the updates regarding the protests. He would then post those videos on the behalf of the people while hiding the senders from Chinese authorities' scrutiny. “This account may become a symbol that Chinese people are still pursuing freedom of speech. When you post something within China, it will quickly disappear. This account can document all these historical events and moments that cannot be saved inside the country,” Li said. In two weeks, his number of followers quadrupled to more than 800,000. His feed was closely monitored by activists and journalists and some television channels also aired his posts across the world. WATCH| Under China's surveillance With the increase in the number of followers, Li's account also caught the attention of Chinese authorities. Days back when Li was tweeting, he received his parents' anxious phone call from eastern China as they informed him about another visit from the police officials. “As soon as I started to update Twitter, they called my parents to tell me to stop posting. And then they went to our house at midnight to harass my parents,” Li stated. This was the second visit by police in a day. A local police chief, accompanied by some officers, had visited Li's parents in the morning and had accused Li of “attacking the state and the (Communist) Party” and had shown to them a list of tweets shared by him as “criminal evidence”. “They wanted to know if there were any foreign forces behind me, whether I received any money, or paid people money for their submissions,” Li stated. Li informed his parents that no money was involved and he is not working for anyone. He said that his father requested him to “pull back from the brink” and not post. “I can’t turn back now. Please don’t worry about me. I don’t think I’m doing anything wrong,” Li told his father. (With inputs from agencies)

Twitter account with cat avatar takes centre stage for info and updates on China protests

Reportedly, the US has scaled down its surveillance in the South China sea. According to a Bejing-based think tank, 46 US sorties in August decreased by around 28 sorties in September.

Report: US reduces military surveillance in South China Sea

Chinese officials are collecting DNA samples across Tibet. They are building the "regional level" DNA database. China said that DNA database is a "crime-fighting tool".

WION Fineprint| Report: Chinese authorities gathering DNA samples across Tibet

For the first time in India’s history, five women officers of the Indian Navy’s INAS 314 completed a maritime reconnaissance and surveillance mission onboard&nbsp;a Dornier 228 aircraft in the North Arabian Sea. These officers are based at the Naval Air Enclave in western Gujarat’s Porbandar city.

The aircraft was captained by the Mission Commander, Lieutenant Commander Aanchal Sharma, who had pilots — Lt Shivangi and Lt Apurva Gite — and tactical and sensor officers Lt Pooja Panda and Sub Lt Pooja Shekhawat in her team, according to the statement by the Indian Navy.

INAS 314 is a frontline Naval Air Squadron and operates the state-of-the-art Dornier 228 maritime reconnaissance aircraft.

In the run-up to the historical sortie, the women officers received months of ground training and comprehensive mission briefings.

Considering that this is a first-of-its-kind military flying mission, the Navy expects the achievement to pave the way for women officers in the aviation cadre to assume greater responsibility and aspire for more challenging roles.

“The Indian Navy has been a front-runner in driving transformation in the Armed Forces. Its impressive and pioneering women empowerment initiatives include induction of women pilots, selection of women Air Operations Officers into the helicopter stream and conducting an all-women sailing circumnavigation expedition across the globe in 2018,” it said in the press note.

“It perhaps marks a unique achievement for the Armed Forces that a crew of only women officers undertook an independent operational mission in a multi-crew maritime surveillance aircraft,” it added.

The 19-seater Dornier 228 was developed by the India state unit Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL). It is a highly versatile multi-purpose light transport aircraft.

It has been developed specifically to meet the manifold requirements of utility and commuter transport, third-level services and air-taxi operations, coast guard duties and maritime surveillance.

The&nbsp;Dornier 228 is based on German design and production of the 1980s-90s. &nbsp;In&nbsp;1983, HAL bought a production licence and manufactured at least 125 aircraft. In July 2017, 63 aircraft were still in airline service.

WATCH WION LIVE HERE

<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/live-tv/embed?autoplay=1&amp;mute=1" width="100%"></iframe>

For the first time in India’s history, five women officers of the Indian Navy’s INAS 314 completed a maritime reconnaissance and surveillance mission onboard a Dornier 228 aircraft in the North Arabian Sea.

For the first time in India’s history, five women officers of the Indian Navy’s INAS 314 completed a maritime reconnaissance and surveillance mission onboard a Dornier 228 aircraft in the North Arabian Sea. These officers are based at the Naval Air Enclave in western Gujarat’s Porbandar city. The aircraft was captained by the Mission Commander, Lieutenant Commander Aanchal Sharma, who had pilots — Lt Shivangi and Lt Apurva Gite — and tactical and sensor officers Lt Pooja Panda and Sub Lt Pooja Shekhawat in her team, according to the statement by the Indian Navy. INAS 314 is a frontline Naval Air Squadron and operates the state-of-the-art Dornier 228 maritime reconnaissance aircraft. In the run-up to the historical sortie, the women officers received months of ground training and comprehensive mission briefings. Considering that this is a first-of-its-kind military flying mission, the Navy expects the achievement to pave the way for women officers in the aviation cadre to assume greater responsibility and aspire for more challenging roles. “The Indian Navy has been a front-runner in driving transformation in the Armed Forces. Its impressive and pioneering women empowerment initiatives include induction of women pilots, selection of women Air Operations Officers into the helicopter stream and conducting an all-women sailing circumnavigation expedition across the globe in 2018,” it said in the press note. “It perhaps marks a unique achievement for the Armed Forces that a crew of only women officers undertook an independent operational mission in a multi-crew maritime surveillance aircraft,” it added. The 19-seater Dornier 228 was developed by the India state unit Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL). It is a highly versatile multi-purpose light transport aircraft. It has been developed specifically to meet the manifold requirements of utility and commuter transport, third-level services and air-taxi operations, coast guard duties and maritime surveillance. The Dornier 228 is based on German design and production of the 1980s-90s. In 1983, HAL bought a production licence and manufactured at least 125 aircraft. In July 2017, 63 aircraft were still in airline service. WATCH WION LIVE HERE

In a first, Indian Navy’s all-women aircrew conducts surveillance mission over Arabian Sea

WeChat has become China's beloved surveillance tool after authorities are using the app to justify arrests and issue veiled threats.

WeChat becomes a powerful surveillance tool in China

A Chinese fighter aircraft dangerously intercepted an Australian military surveillance plane in the South China Sea region in May, Australia`s defence department said on Sunday.

The Royal Australian Air Force P-8 maritime surveillance aircraft was intercepted by a Chinese J-16 fighter during "routine maritime surveillance activity" in international airspace in the region on May 26, defence said in a statement.

"The intercept resulted in a dangerous manoeuvre which posed a safety threat to the P-8 aircraft and its crew," it said.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese told reporters in Perth that his government had expressed concerns to China "through appropriate channels".

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/bangladesh-depot-fire-near-chittagong-claims-sixteen-lives-at-least-170-injured-485194" hreflang="en">Bangladesh depot fire near Chittagong claims 34 lives, at least 450 injured</a>

China`s embassy in Australia did not immediately respond toa request for comment.

Defence Minister Richard Marles said the Chinese jet flew very close in front of the RAAF aircraft and released a "bundle of chaff" containing small pieces of aluminium that were ingested into the Australian aircraft`s engine.

"Quite obviously this is very dangerous," Marles told ABC television.

Australia has previously joined the United States in stating that China’s claims around contested islands in the South China Sea do not comply with international law.

Defence said for decades it had undertaken maritime surveillance in the region and "does so in accordance with international law, exercising the right to freedom of navigation and overflight in international waters and airspace".

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/north-korea-test-fires-ballistic-missile-after-us-south-korea-stage-drills-485172">North Korea test-fires ballistic missile after US, South Korea stage drills</a>

Relations between Australia and China, major trading partners, have been strained recently over growing Chinese influence in the Pacific after China sought a regional security deal with Pacific Island nations.

Also in May, a Chinese intelligence ship was tracked off Australia`s west coast within 50 nautical miles of a sensitive defence facility, which is used by Australian, U.S. and allied submarines.

In February, China and Australia traded barbs over an incident in which Australia said one of its maritime patrol aircraft detected a laser directed at it from a People`s Liberation Army Navy vessel.

A Chinese fighter aircraft dangerously intercepted an Australian military surveillance plane in the South China Sea region in May, Australia`s defence department said on Sunday.

A Chinese fighter aircraft dangerously intercepted an Australian military surveillance plane in the South China Sea region in May, Australia`s defence department said on Sunday. The Royal Australian Air Force P-8 maritime surveillance aircraft was intercepted by a Chinese J-16 fighter during "routine maritime surveillance activity" in international airspace in the region on May 26, defence said in a statement. "The intercept resulted in a dangerous manoeuvre which posed a safety threat to the P-8 aircraft and its crew," it said. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese told reporters in Perth that his government had expressed concerns to China "through appropriate channels". Also read | Bangladesh depot fire near Chittagong claims 34 lives, at least 450 injured China`s embassy in Australia did not immediately respond toa request for comment. Defence Minister Richard Marles said the Chinese jet flew very close in front of the RAAF aircraft and released a "bundle of chaff" containing small pieces of aluminium that were ingested into the Australian aircraft`s engine. "Quite obviously this is very dangerous," Marles told ABC television. Australia has previously joined the United States in stating that China’s claims around contested islands in the South China Sea do not comply with international law. Defence said for decades it had undertaken maritime surveillance in the region and "does so in accordance with international law, exercising the right to freedom of navigation and overflight in international waters and airspace". Also read | North Korea test-fires ballistic missile after US, South Korea stage drills Relations between Australia and China, major trading partners, have been strained recently over growing Chinese influence in the Pacific after China sought a regional security deal with Pacific Island nations. Also in May, a Chinese intelligence ship was tracked off Australia`s west coast within 50 nautical miles of a sensitive defence facility, which is used by Australian, U.S. and allied submarines. In February, China and Australia traded barbs over an incident in which Australia said one of its maritime patrol aircraft detected a laser directed at it from a People`s Liberation Army Navy vessel.

Australia says Chinese fighter jet intercepted surveillance craft in May

Dozens of Chinese firms have built software that uses artificial intelligence to sort data collected on residents, amid high demand from authorities seeking to upgrade their surveillance tools, a Reuters review of government documents shows.

According to more than 50 publicly available documents examined by Reuters, dozens of entities in China have over the past four years bought such software, known as "one person, one file". The technology improves on existing software, which simply collects data but leaves it to people to organise.

“The system has the ability to learn independently and can optimize the accuracy of file creation as the amount of data increases. (Faces that are) partially blocked, masked, or wearing glasses, and low-resolution portraits can also be archived relatively accurately,” according to a tender published in July by the public security department of Henan, China’s third-largest province by population.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/chinese-shadow-as-south-asian-countries-face-political-and-social-upheavals-468981">Chinese shadow as South Asian countries face political and social upheavals</a>

Henan's department of public security did not respond to requests for comment about the system and its uses.

The new software improves on Beijing's current approach to surveillance. Although China's existing systems can collect data on individuals, law enforcement and other users have been left to organise it.

Another limitation of current surveillance software is its inability to connect an individual’s personal details to a real-time location except at security checkpoints such as those in airports, according to Jeffrey Ding, a postdoctoral fellow at Stanford's Center for International Security and Cooperation.

One person, one file "is a way of sorting information that makes it easier to track individuals," said Mareike Ohlberg, a Berlin-based senior fellow at the German Marshall Fund.

China's Department of Public Security, which oversees regional police authorities, did not respond to a request for comment about one person, one file and its surveillance uses. Besides the police units, 10 bids were opened by Chinese Communist Party bodies responsible for political and legal affairs. China's Central Political and Legal Affairs Commission declined to comment.

The tenders examined by Reuters represent a fraction of such efforts by Chinese police units and Party bodies to upgrade surveillance networks by tapping into the power of big data and AI, according to three industry experts interviewed for this story.

According to government documents, some of the software's users, such as schools, wanted to monitor unfamiliar faces outside their compounds.

The majority, such as police units in southwestern Sichuan province's Ngawa prefecture, mainly populated by Tibetans, ordered it for more explicit security purposes. The Ngawa tender describes the software as being for "maintaining political security, social stability and peace among the people."

Ngawa's department of public security did not respond to requests for comment.

Beijing says its monitoring is crucial to combating crime and has been key to its efforts to fight the spread of COVID-19. Human rights activists such as Human Rights Watch say that the country is building a surveillance state that infringes on privacy and unfairly targets certain groups, such the Uyghur Muslim minority.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/opinions-blogs/chinese-vignettes-china-is-steadily-making-gains-overseas-at-home-it-struggles-to-fight-covid-468057">Chinese vignettes | China is steadily making gains overseas. At home, it struggles to fight Covid</a>

The Reuters review shows that local authorities across the country, including in highly populated districts of Beijing and underdeveloped provinces like Gansu, have opened at least 50 tenders in the four years since the first patent application, 32 of which were opened for bidding in 2021. Twenty-two tech companies, including Sensetime, Huawei, Megvii, Cloudwalk, Dahua, and the cloud division of Baidu, now offer such software, according to a Reuters review.

Sensetime declined to comment. Megvii, Cloudwalk, Dahua, and the cloud division of Baidu did not respond to requests for comment.

Huawei said in a statement that a partner had developed the one person, one file application in its smart city platform. The company declined to comment on the patent applications.

"Huawei does not develop or sell applications that target any specific group of people," the company said.

The documents Reuters reviewed span 22 of China's 31 main administrative divisions, and all levels of provincial government, from regional public security departments to Party offices for a single neighbourhood.

The new systems aim to make sense of the giant troves of data such entities collect, using complex algorithms and machine learning to create customised files for individuals, according to the government tenders. The files update themselves automatically as the software sorts data.

A wide range of challenges can complicate implementation, however. Bureaucracy and even cost can create a fragmented and disjointed nationwide network, three AI and surveillance experts told Reuters.

Reuters found announcements for successful bids for more than half of the 50 procurement documents analysed, with values between a few million yuan and close to 200 million yuan.

System upgrade

China blanketed its cities with surveillance cameras in a 2015-2020 campaign it described as "sharp eyes" and is striving to do the same across rural areas. The development and adoption of the "one person, one file" software began around the same time.

Ohlberg, the researcher, said the earliest mention she had seen of one person, one file was from 2016, in a 200-page surveillance feasibility study by Shawan county in Xinjiang, for acquiring a computer system that could “automatically identify and investigate key persons involved in terrorism and (threatening social) stability.” A Shawan county official declined to comment.

Watch |&nbsp;China targets power grid systems in Ladakh, India foils hacking attempt

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/china-targets-power-grid-systems-in-ladakh-india-foils-hacking-attempt-469202/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

In 2016, China's domestic security chief at the time, Meng Jianzhu, wrote in a state-run journal that big data was the key to finding crime patterns and trends. Two years later, the system was referenced in a speech to industry executives given by Li Ziqing, then-director of the Research Center for Biometrics and Security Technology of the state-run Chinese Academy of Sciences. Li also was chief scientist at AuthenMetric, a Beijing-based facial recognition company. Neither the research centre nor AuthenMetric responded to requests for comment.

"The ultimate core technology of big data’s (application to) security is one person, one file," Li said in the 2018 speech at an AI forum in Shenzhen, according to a transcript of the speech published by local media and shared on AuthenMetric’s WeChat public account.

The Party's Political and Legal Affairs Commission, which Meng led in 2016, declined to comment. Meng could not be reached for comment. Li did not respond to a request for comment.

The industry developed quickly. By 2021, Huawei, Sensetime, and 26 other Chinese tech companies had filed patent applications with the World Intellectual Property Organization for file archiving and image clustering algorithms.

A 2021 Huawei patent application for a "person database partitioning method and device" that mentioned one person, one file said that "as smart cameras become more popular in the future, the number of captured facial images in a city will grow to trillions per year”.

Safe Cities

The 50 tenders Reuters analysed give varying amounts of detail on how the software would be used.

Some mentioned, "one person, one file" as a single entry on a list of needed items for surveillance systems. Others gave detailed descriptions.

Nine of the tenders indicated the software would be used with facial recognition technology that could, the documents specified, identify whether a passerby was Uyghur, connecting to early warning systems for the police and creating archives of Uyghur faces.

One tender published in February 2020 by a Party organ responsible for an area in the southeastern island province of Hainan, for instance, sought a database of Uyghur and Tibetan residents to facilitate “finding the information of persons involved in terrorism.”

The Hainan authorities did not respond to a request for comment.

More than a dozen tenders mention the need to combat terrorism and “maintain stability”, a catch-all term that human rights activists say is often used to mean repressing dissent.

At least four of the tenders said the software should be able to pull information from the individual's social media accounts. Half of the tenders said the software would be used to compile and analyse personal details such as relatives, social circles, vehicle records, marriage status, and shopping habits.

Dozens of Chinese firms have built software that uses artificial intelligence to sort data collected on residents, amid high demand from authorities seeking to upgrade their surveillance tools, a Reuters review of government documents shows.

Dozens of Chinese firms have built software that uses artificial intelligence to sort data collected on residents, amid high demand from authorities seeking to upgrade their surveillance tools, a Reuters review of government documents shows. According to more than 50 publicly available documents examined by Reuters, dozens of entities in China have over the past four years bought such software, known as "one person, one file". The technology improves on existing software, which simply collects data but leaves it to people to organise. “The system has the ability to learn independently and can optimize the accuracy of file creation as the amount of data increases. (Faces that are) partially blocked, masked, or wearing glasses, and low-resolution portraits can also be archived relatively accurately,” according to a tender published in July by the public security department of Henan, China’s third-largest province by population. Also read | Chinese shadow as South Asian countries face political and social upheavals Henan's department of public security did not respond to requests for comment about the system and its uses. The new software improves on Beijing's current approach to surveillance. Although China's existing systems can collect data on individuals, law enforcement and other users have been left to organise it. Another limitation of current surveillance software is its inability to connect an individual’s personal details to a real-time location except at security checkpoints such as those in airports, according to Jeffrey Ding, a postdoctoral fellow at Stanford's Center for International Security and Cooperation. One person, one file "is a way of sorting information that makes it easier to track individuals," said Mareike Ohlberg, a Berlin-based senior fellow at the German Marshall Fund. China's Department of Public Security, which oversees regional police authorities, did not respond to a request for comment about one person, one file and its surveillance uses. Besides the police units, 10 bids were opened by Chinese Communist Party bodies responsible for political and legal affairs. China's Central Political and Legal Affairs Commission declined to comment. The tenders examined by Reuters represent a fraction of such efforts by Chinese police units and Party bodies to upgrade surveillance networks by tapping into the power of big data and AI, according to three industry experts interviewed for this story. According to government documents, some of the software's users, such as schools, wanted to monitor unfamiliar faces outside their compounds. The majority, such as police units in southwestern Sichuan province's Ngawa prefecture, mainly populated by Tibetans, ordered it for more explicit security purposes. The Ngawa tender describes the software as being for "maintaining political security, social stability and peace among the people." Ngawa's department of public security did not respond to requests for comment. Beijing says its monitoring is crucial to combating crime and has been key to its efforts to fight the spread of COVID-19. Human rights activists such as Human Rights Watch say that the country is building a surveillance state that infringes on privacy and unfairly targets certain groups, such the Uyghur Muslim minority. Also read | Chinese vignettes | China is steadily making gains overseas. At home, it struggles to fight Covid The Reuters review shows that local authorities across the country, including in highly populated districts of Beijing and underdeveloped provinces like Gansu, have opened at least 50 tenders in the four years since the first patent application, 32 of which were opened for bidding in 2021. Twenty-two tech companies, including Sensetime, Huawei, Megvii, Cloudwalk, Dahua, and the cloud division of Baidu, now offer such software, according to a Reuters review. Sensetime declined to comment. Megvii, Cloudwalk, Dahua, and the cloud division of Baidu did not respond to requests for comment. Huawei said in a statement that a partner had developed the one person, one file application in its smart city platform. The company declined to comment on the patent applications. "Huawei does not develop or sell applications that target any specific group of people," the company said. The documents Reuters reviewed span 22 of China's 31 main administrative divisions, and all levels of provincial government, from regional public security departments to Party offices for a single neighbourhood. The new systems aim to make sense of the giant troves of data such entities collect, using complex algorithms and machine learning to create customised files for individuals, according to the government tenders. The files update themselves automatically as the software sorts data. A wide range of challenges can complicate implementation, however. Bureaucracy and even cost can create a fragmented and disjointed nationwide network, three AI and surveillance experts told Reuters. Reuters found announcements for successful bids for more than half of the 50 procurement documents analysed, with values between a few million yuan and close to 200 million yuan. System upgrade China blanketed its cities with surveillance cameras in a 2015-2020 campaign it described as "sharp eyes" and is striving to do the same across rural areas. The development and adoption of the "one person, one file" software began around the same time. Ohlberg, the researcher, said the earliest mention she had seen of one person, one file was from 2016, in a 200-page surveillance feasibility study by Shawan county in Xinjiang, for acquiring a computer system that could “automatically identify and investigate key persons involved in terrorism and (threatening social) stability.” A Shawan county official declined to comment. Watch | China targets power grid systems in Ladakh, India foils hacking attempt In 2016, China's domestic security chief at the time, Meng Jianzhu, wrote in a state-run journal that big data was the key to finding crime patterns and trends. Two years later, the system was referenced in a speech to industry executives given by Li Ziqing, then-director of the Research Center for Biometrics and Security Technology of the state-run Chinese Academy of Sciences. Li also was chief scientist at AuthenMetric, a Beijing-based facial recognition company. Neither the research centre nor AuthenMetric responded to requests for comment. "The ultimate core technology of big data’s (application to) security is one person, one file," Li said in the 2018 speech at an AI forum in Shenzhen, according to a transcript of the speech published by local media and shared on AuthenMetric’s WeChat public account. The Party's Political and Legal Affairs Commission, which Meng led in 2016, declined to comment. Meng could not be reached for comment. Li did not respond to a request for comment. The industry developed quickly. By 2021, Huawei, Sensetime, and 26 other Chinese tech companies had filed patent applications with the World Intellectual Property Organization for file archiving and image clustering algorithms. A 2021 Huawei patent application for a "person database partitioning method and device" that mentioned one person, one file said that "as smart cameras become more popular in the future, the number of captured facial images in a city will grow to trillions per year”. Safe Cities The 50 tenders Reuters analysed give varying amounts of detail on how the software would be used. Some mentioned, "one person, one file" as a single entry on a list of needed items for surveillance systems. Others gave detailed descriptions. Nine of the tenders indicated the software would be used with facial recognition technology that could, the documents specified, identify whether a passerby was Uyghur, connecting to early warning systems for the police and creating archives of Uyghur faces. One tender published in February 2020 by a Party organ responsible for an area in the southeastern island province of Hainan, for instance, sought a database of Uyghur and Tibetan residents to facilitate “finding the information of persons involved in terrorism.” The Hainan authorities did not respond to a request for comment. More than a dozen tenders mention the need to combat terrorism and “maintain stability”, a catch-all term that human rights activists say is often used to mean repressing dissent. At least four of the tenders said the software should be able to pull information from the individual's social media accounts. Half of the tenders said the software would be used to compile and analyse personal details such as relatives, social circles, vehicle records, marriage status, and shopping habits.

China uses AI software to improve its surveillance capabilities

Nokia said this month that it would stop its sales in Russia and denounced the invasion of Ukraine. But the Finnish company didn’t mention what it was leaving behind: equipment and software connecting the government’s most powerful tool for digital surveillance to the nation’s largest telecommunications network.

The tool was used to track supporters of the Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny. Investigators said it had intercepted the phone calls of a Kremlin foe who was later assassinated. Called the System for Operative Investigative Activities, or SORM, it is also most likely being employed at this moment as President Vladimir Putin culls and silences anti-war voices inside Russia.

For more than five years, Nokia provided equipment and services to link SORM to Russia’s largest telecom service provider, MTS, according to company documents obtained by The New York Times. While Nokia does not make the tech that intercepts communications, the documents lay out how it worked with state-linked Russian companies to plan, streamline and troubleshoot the SORM system’s connection to the MTS network. Russia’s main intelligence service, the FSB, uses SORM to listen in on phone conversations, intercept emails and text messages, and track other internet communications.

The documents, spanning 2008 to 2017, show in previously unreported detail that Nokia knew it was enabling a Russian surveillance system. The work was essential for Nokia to do business in Russia, where it had become a top supplier of equipment and services to various telecommunications customers to help their networks function. The business yielded hundreds of millions of dollars in annual revenue, even as Putin became more belligerent abroad and more controlling at home.

For years, multinational companies capitalized on surging Russian demand for new technologies. Now global outrage over the largest war on European soil since World War II is forcing them to reexamine their roles.

The conflict in Ukraine has upended the idea that products and services are agnostic. In the past, tech companies argued it was better to remain in authoritarian markets, even if that meant complying with laws written by autocrats. Facebook, Google and Twitter have struggled to find a balance when pressured to censor, be it in Vietnam or in Russia, while Apple works with a state-owned partner to store customer data in China that authorities can access. Intel and Nvidia sell chips through resellers in China, allowing authorities to buy them for computers powering surveillance.

The lessons that companies draw from what’s happening in Russia could have consequences in other authoritarian countries where advanced technologies are sold. A rule giving the U.S. Commerce Department the power to block companies, including telecom equipment suppliers, from selling technology in such places was part of a bill, called the America Competes Act, passed by the House of Representatives in February.

“We should treat sophisticated surveillance technology in the same way we treat sophisticated missile or drone technology,” said Rep. Tom Malinowski, D-N.J., who was an assistant secretary of state for human rights in the Obama administration. “We need appropriate controls on the proliferation of this stuff just as we do on other sensitive national security items.”

Andrei Soldatov, an expert on Russian intelligence and digital surveillance who reviewed some of the Nokia documents at the request of the Times, said that without the company’s involvement in SORM, “it would have been impossible to make such a system.”

“They had to have known how their devices would be used,” said Soldatov, who is now a fellow at the Center for European Policy Analysis.

Nokia, which did not dispute the authenticity of the documents, said that under Russian law, it was required to make products that would allow a Russian telecom operator to connect to the SORM system. Other countries make similar demands, the company said, and it must decide between helping make the internet work or leaving altogether. Nokia also said that it did not manufacture, install or service SORM equipment.

The company said it follows international standards, used by many suppliers of core network equipment, that cover government surveillance. It called on governments to set clearer export rules about where technology could be sold and said it “unequivocally condemns” Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

“Nokia does not have an ability to control, access or interfere with any lawful intercept capability in the networks which our customers own and operate,” it said in a statement.

MTS did not respond to requests for comment.

The documents that the Times reviewed were part of almost 2 terabytes of internal Nokia emails, network schematics, contracts, license agreements and photos. The cybersecurity firm UpGuard and TechCrunch, a news website, previously reported on some of the documents linking Nokia to the state surveillance system. Following those reports, Nokia played down the extent of its involvement.

But the Times obtained a larger cache showing Nokia’s depth of knowledge about the program. The documents include correspondence on Nokia’s sending engineers to examine SORM, details of the company’s work at more than a dozen Russian sites, photos of the MTS network linked to SORM, floor plans of network centers and installation instructions from a Russian firm that made the surveillance equipment.

After 2017, which is when the documents end, Nokia continued to work with MTS and other Russian telecoms, according to public announcements.

SORM, which dates to at least the 1990s, is akin to the systems used by law enforcement around the world to wiretap and surveil criminal targets. Telecom equipment makers like Nokia are often required to ensure that such systems, known as lawful intercept, function smoothly within communications networks.

In democracies, police are generally required to obtain a court order before seeking data from telecom service providers. In Russia, the SORM system sidesteps that process, working like a surveillance black box that can take whatever data the FSB wants without any oversight.

In 2018, Russia strengthened a law to require internet and telecom companies to disclose communications data to authorities even without a court order. Authorities also mandated that companies store phone conversations, text messages and electronic correspondence for up to six months, and internet traffic history for 30 days. SORM works in parallel with a separate censorship system that Russia has developed to block access to websites.

Civil society groups, lawyers and activists have criticized the Russian government for using SORM to spy on Putin’s rivals and critics. The system, they said, is almost certainly being used now to crack down on dissent against the war. This month, Putin vowed to remove pro-Western Russians, whom he called “scum and traitors,” from society, and his government has cut off foreign internet services like Facebook and Instagram.

Nokia is best known as a pioneer of mobile phones, a business it sold in 2013 after Apple and Samsung began dominating the market. It now makes the bulk of its $24 billion in annual sales providing telecom equipment and services so phone networks can function. Roughly $480 million of Nokia’s annual sales come from Russia and Ukraine, or less than 2% of its overall revenue, according to the market research firm Dell’Oro.

Last decade, the Kremlin had grown serious about cyberspying, and telecom equipment providers were legally required to provide a gateway for spying. If Nokia did not comply, competitors such as Chinese telecom giant Huawei were assumed to be willing to do so.

By 2012, Nokia was providing hardware and services to the MTS network, according to the documents. Project documentation signed by Nokia personnel included a schematic of the network that depicted how data and phone traffic should flow to SORM. Annotated photos showed a cable labeled SORM plugging into networking equipment, apparently documenting work by Nokia engineers.

Flow charts showed how data would be transmitted to Moscow and FSB field offices across Russia, where agents could use a computer system to search people’s communications without their knowledge.

Specifics of how the program is used have largely been kept secret. “You will never know that surveillance was carried out at all,” said Sarkis Darbinyan, a Russian lawyer who co-founded Roskomsvoboda, a digital rights group.

But some information about SORM has leaked out from court cases, civil society groups and journalists.

In 2011, embarrassing phone calls made by Russian opposition leader Boris Y. Nemtsov were leaked to the media. Soldatov, who covered the incident as an investigative reporter, said the phone recordings had come from SORM surveillance. Nemtsov was murdered near the Kremlin in 2015.

In 2013, a court case involving Navalny included details about his communications that were believed to have been intercepted by SORM. In 2018, some communications by Navalny’s supporters were tracked by SORM, said Damir Gainutdinov, a Russian lawyer who represented the activists. He said phone numbers, email addresses and Internet Protocol addresses had been merged with information that authorities collected from VK, Russia’s largest social network, which is also required to provide access to user data through SORM.

“These tools are used not just to prosecute somebody but to fill out a dossier and collect data about somebody’s activities, about their friends, partners and so on,” said Gainutdinov, who now lives in Bulgaria. “Officers of the federal security service, due to the design of this system, have unlimited access to all communication.”

By 2015, SORM was attracting international attention. That year, the European Court of Human Rights called the program a “system of secret surveillance” that was deployed arbitrarily without sufficient protection against abuse. The court ultimately ruled, in a case brought by a Russian journalist, that the tools violated European human rights laws.

In 2016, MTS tapped Nokia to help upgrade its network across large swaths of Russia. MTS set out an ambitious plan to install new hardware and software between June 2016 and March 2017, according to one document.

Nokia performed SORM-related work at facilities in at least 12 cities in Russia, according to the documents, which show how the network linked the surveillance system. In February 2017, a Nokia employee was sent to three cities south of Moscow to examine SORM, according to letters from a Nokia executive informing MTS employees of the trip.

Nokia worked with Malvin, a Russian firm that manufactured the SORM hardware the FSB used. One Malvin document instructed Malvin’s partners to ensure that they had entered the correct parameters for operating SORM on switching hardware. It also reminded them to notify Malvin technicians of passwords, user names and IP addresses.

Malvin is one of several Russian companies that won lucrative contracts to make equipment to analyze and sort through telecommunications data. Some of those companies, including Malvin, were owned by a Russian holding company, Citadel, which was controlled by Alisher Usmanov. Usmanov, an oligarch with ties to Putin, is now the subject of sanctions in the United States, the European Union, Britain and Switzerland.

Malvin and Citadel did not respond to requests for comment.

Other Nokia documents specified which cables, routers and ports to use to connect to the surveillance system. Network maps showed how gear from other companies, including Cisco, plugged into the SORM boxes. Cisco declined to comment.

For Nokia engineers in Russia, the work related to SORM was often mundane. In 2017, a Nokia technician received an assignment to Orel, a city about 225 miles south of Moscow.

“Carry out work on the examination of SORM,” he was told.

Nokia said this month that it would stop its sales in Russia and denounced the invasion of Ukraine. But the Finnish company didn’t mention what it was leaving behind: equipment and software connecting the government’s most powerful tool for digital surveillance to the nation’s largest telecommunications network.

Nokia said this month that it would stop its sales in Russia and denounced the invasion of Ukraine. But the Finnish company didn’t mention what it was leaving behind: equipment and software connecting the government’s most powerful tool for digital surveillance to the nation’s largest telecommunications network. The tool was used to track supporters of the Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny. Investigators said it had intercepted the phone calls of a Kremlin foe who was later assassinated. Called the System for Operative Investigative Activities, or SORM, it is also most likely being employed at this moment as President Vladimir Putin culls and silences anti-war voices inside Russia. For more than five years, Nokia provided equipment and services to link SORM to Russia’s largest telecom service provider, MTS, according to company documents obtained by The New York Times. While Nokia does not make the tech that intercepts communications, the documents lay out how it worked with state-linked Russian companies to plan, streamline and troubleshoot the SORM system’s connection to the MTS network. Russia’s main intelligence service, the FSB, uses SORM to listen in on phone conversations, intercept emails and text messages, and track other internet communications. The documents, spanning 2008 to 2017, show in previously unreported detail that Nokia knew it was enabling a Russian surveillance system. The work was essential for Nokia to do business in Russia, where it had become a top supplier of equipment and services to various telecommunications customers to help their networks function. The business yielded hundreds of millions of dollars in annual revenue, even as Putin became more belligerent abroad and more controlling at home. For years, multinational companies capitalized on surging Russian demand for new technologies. Now global outrage over the largest war on European soil since World War II is forcing them to reexamine their roles. The conflict in Ukraine has upended the idea that products and services are agnostic. In the past, tech companies argued it was better to remain in authoritarian markets, even if that meant complying with laws written by autocrats. Facebook, Google and Twitter have struggled to find a balance when pressured to censor, be it in Vietnam or in Russia, while Apple works with a state-owned partner to store customer data in China that authorities can access. Intel and Nvidia sell chips through resellers in China, allowing authorities to buy them for computers powering surveillance. The lessons that companies draw from what’s happening in Russia could have consequences in other authoritarian countries where advanced technologies are sold. A rule giving the U.S. Commerce Department the power to block companies, including telecom equipment suppliers, from selling technology in such places was part of a bill, called the America Competes Act, passed by the House of Representatives in February. “We should treat sophisticated surveillance technology in the same way we treat sophisticated missile or drone technology,” said Rep. Tom Malinowski, D-N.J., who was an assistant secretary of state for human rights in the Obama administration. “We need appropriate controls on the proliferation of this stuff just as we do on other sensitive national security items.” Andrei Soldatov, an expert on Russian intelligence and digital surveillance who reviewed some of the Nokia documents at the request of the Times, said that without the company’s involvement in SORM, “it would have been impossible to make such a system.” “They had to have known how their devices would be used,” said Soldatov, who is now a fellow at the Center for European Policy Analysis. Nokia, which did not dispute the authenticity of the documents, said that under Russian law, it was required to make products that would allow a Russian telecom operator to connect to the SORM system. Other countries make similar demands, the company said, and it must decide between helping make the internet work or leaving altogether. Nokia also said that it did not manufacture, install or service SORM equipment. The company said it follows international standards, used by many suppliers of core network equipment, that cover government surveillance. It called on governments to set clearer export rules about where technology could be sold and said it “unequivocally condemns” Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. “Nokia does not have an ability to control, access or interfere with any lawful intercept capability in the networks which our customers own and operate,” it said in a statement. MTS did not respond to requests for comment. The documents that the Times reviewed were part of almost 2 terabytes of internal Nokia emails, network schematics, contracts, license agreements and photos. The cybersecurity firm UpGuard and TechCrunch, a news website, previously reported on some of the documents linking Nokia to the state surveillance system. Following those reports, Nokia played down the extent of its involvement. But the Times obtained a larger cache showing Nokia’s depth of knowledge about the program. The documents include correspondence on Nokia’s sending engineers to examine SORM, details of the company’s work at more than a dozen Russian sites, photos of the MTS network linked to SORM, floor plans of network centers and installation instructions from a Russian firm that made the surveillance equipment. After 2017, which is when the documents end, Nokia continued to work with MTS and other Russian telecoms, according to public announcements. SORM, which dates to at least the 1990s, is akin to the systems used by law enforcement around the world to wiretap and surveil criminal targets. Telecom equipment makers like Nokia are often required to ensure that such systems, known as lawful intercept, function smoothly within communications networks. In democracies, police are generally required to obtain a court order before seeking data from telecom service providers. In Russia, the SORM system sidesteps that process, working like a surveillance black box that can take whatever data the FSB wants without any oversight. In 2018, Russia strengthened a law to require internet and telecom companies to disclose communications data to authorities even without a court order. Authorities also mandated that companies store phone conversations, text messages and electronic correspondence for up to six months, and internet traffic history for 30 days. SORM works in parallel with a separate censorship system that Russia has developed to block access to websites. Civil society groups, lawyers and activists have criticized the Russian government for using SORM to spy on Putin’s rivals and critics. The system, they said, is almost certainly being used now to crack down on dissent against the war. This month, Putin vowed to remove pro-Western Russians, whom he called “scum and traitors,” from society, and his government has cut off foreign internet services like Facebook and Instagram. Nokia is best known as a pioneer of mobile phones, a business it sold in 2013 after Apple and Samsung began dominating the market. It now makes the bulk of its $24 billion in annual sales providing telecom equipment and services so phone networks can function. Roughly $480 million of Nokia’s annual sales come from Russia and Ukraine, or less than 2% of its overall revenue, according to the market research firm Dell’Oro. Last decade, the Kremlin had grown serious about cyberspying, and telecom equipment providers were legally required to provide a gateway for spying. If Nokia did not comply, competitors such as Chinese telecom giant Huawei were assumed to be willing to do so. By 2012, Nokia was providing hardware and services to the MTS network, according to the documents. Project documentation signed by Nokia personnel included a schematic of the network that depicted how data and phone traffic should flow to SORM. Annotated photos showed a cable labeled SORM plugging into networking equipment, apparently documenting work by Nokia engineers. Flow charts showed how data would be transmitted to Moscow and FSB field offices across Russia, where agents could use a computer system to search people’s communications without their knowledge. Specifics of how the program is used have largely been kept secret. “You will never know that surveillance was carried out at all,” said Sarkis Darbinyan, a Russian lawyer who co-founded Roskomsvoboda, a digital rights group. But some information about SORM has leaked out from court cases, civil society groups and journalists. In 2011, embarrassing phone calls made by Russian opposition leader Boris Y. Nemtsov were leaked to the media. Soldatov, who covered the incident as an investigative reporter, said the phone recordings had come from SORM surveillance. Nemtsov was murdered near the Kremlin in 2015. In 2013, a court case involving Navalny included details about his communications that were believed to have been intercepted by SORM. In 2018, some communications by Navalny’s supporters were tracked by SORM, said Damir Gainutdinov, a Russian lawyer who represented the activists. He said phone numbers, email addresses and Internet Protocol addresses had been merged with information that authorities collected from VK, Russia’s largest social network, which is also required to provide access to user data through SORM. “These tools are used not just to prosecute somebody but to fill out a dossier and collect data about somebody’s activities, about their friends, partners and so on,” said Gainutdinov, who now lives in Bulgaria. “Officers of the federal security service, due to the design of this system, have unlimited access to all communication.” By 2015, SORM was attracting international attention. That year, the European Court of Human Rights called the program a “system of secret surveillance” that was deployed arbitrarily without sufficient protection against abuse. The court ultimately ruled, in a case brought by a Russian journalist, that the tools violated European human rights laws. In 2016, MTS tapped Nokia to help upgrade its network across large swaths of Russia. MTS set out an ambitious plan to install new hardware and software between June 2016 and March 2017, according to one document. Nokia performed SORM-related work at facilities in at least 12 cities in Russia, according to the documents, which show how the network linked the surveillance system. In February 2017, a Nokia employee was sent to three cities south of Moscow to examine SORM, according to letters from a Nokia executive informing MTS employees of the trip. Nokia worked with Malvin, a Russian firm that manufactured the SORM hardware the FSB used. One Malvin document instructed Malvin’s partners to ensure that they had entered the correct parameters for operating SORM on switching hardware. It also reminded them to notify Malvin technicians of passwords, user names and IP addresses. Malvin is one of several Russian companies that won lucrative contracts to make equipment to analyze and sort through telecommunications data. Some of those companies, including Malvin, were owned by a Russian holding company, Citadel, which was controlled by Alisher Usmanov. Usmanov, an oligarch with ties to Putin, is now the subject of sanctions in the United States, the European Union, Britain and Switzerland. Malvin and Citadel did not respond to requests for comment. Other Nokia documents specified which cables, routers and ports to use to connect to the surveillance system. Network maps showed how gear from other companies, including Cisco, plugged into the SORM boxes. Cisco declined to comment. For Nokia engineers in Russia, the work related to SORM was often mundane. In 2017, a Nokia technician received an assignment to Orel, a city about 225 miles south of Moscow. “Carry out work on the examination of SORM,” he was told.

When Nokia pulled out of Russia, a vast surveillance system remained

Meta, the parent company of Facebook, banned an array of "cyber mercenary" groups on Thursday, alerting 50,000 users who may have been targeted by firms that spy on activists, dissidents, and journalists.

Meta shut down 1,500 Facebook and Instagram webpages linked to groups with services ranging from snooping up public information online to building trust with targets with fake personas to performing digital snooping via hacking attacks.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/fretting-about-data-security-chinese-government-expands-its-use-of-golden-shares-437299">Fretting about data security, Chinese government expands its use of 'golden shares'</a>

Furthermore, Facebook is warning about 50,000 users in more than 100 countries who may have been targeted by firms including several from Israel, a leading player in the cyber surveillance business.

"The surveillance-for-hire industry... looks like indiscriminate targeting on behalf of the highest bidder," Nathaniel Gleicher, head of security policy at Meta, told a press briefing.

Facebook said it removed accounts from Cobwebs Technologies, Cognyte, Black Cube and Bluehawk CI -- all of which are based or founded in Israel.

BellTroX, a company based in India, Cytrox based in Macedonia, and another entity with an unidentified location in China also had their Meta accounts removed.

Researchers at Canadian cybersecurity organisation Citizen Lab also accused Cytrox of developing and selling spyware used to hack Egyptian opposition figure Ayman Nour's phone.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/this-is-how-huawei-is-associated-with-chinas-state-surveillance-436995">This is how Huawei is associated with China’s state surveillance</a>

"These cyber mercenaries often claim that their services only target criminals and terrorists," said a Meta statement.&nbsp;

"Targeting is in fact indiscriminate and includes journalists, dissidents, critics of authoritarian regimes, families of opposition members and human rights activists," it added. "We have banned them from our services."

In most cases, the companies selling "web intelligence services" gather information from publicly available online sources, such as news reports and Wikipedia, before beginning the surveillance process.

Cyber mercenaries then created fake accounts on social media sites to gather info about users, Meta investigators said, joining groups and conversations to get further details.

A third tactic is to gain a target's trust on a social network and then trick the person into clicking a booby-trapped link or file that installs software that can then steal information from their devices.

Watch |&nbsp;Meta crackdown on spy firms: 1,500 accounts suspended

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/meta-crackdown-on-spy-firms-1500-accounts-suspended-437605/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

This kind of access allows mercenaries to steal data from a target's phone or computer. In addition, they can silently activate microphones, cameras, and tracking systems.

While Meta was not being able to pinpoint who ran the Chinese operation, it tracked "command and control" of the surveillance tool to servers that appeared to be used by law enforcement officials in China.

(With inputs from agencies)

Meta, the parent company of Facebook, banned an array of "cyber mercenary" groups on Thursday, alerting 50,000 users who may have been targeted by firms that spy on activists, dissidents, and journalists.

Meta, the parent company of Facebook, banned an array of "cyber mercenary" groups on Thursday, alerting 50,000 users who may have been targeted by firms that spy on activists, dissidents, and journalists. Meta shut down 1,500 Facebook and Instagram webpages linked to groups with services ranging from snooping up public information online to building trust with targets with fake personas to performing digital snooping via hacking attacks. Also read | Fretting about data security, Chinese government expands its use of 'golden shares' Furthermore, Facebook is warning about 50,000 users in more than 100 countries who may have been targeted by firms including several from Israel, a leading player in the cyber surveillance business. "The surveillance-for-hire industry... looks like indiscriminate targeting on behalf of the highest bidder," Nathaniel Gleicher, head of security policy at Meta, told a press briefing. Facebook said it removed accounts from Cobwebs Technologies, Cognyte, Black Cube and Bluehawk CI -- all of which are based or founded in Israel. BellTroX, a company based in India, Cytrox based in Macedonia, and another entity with an unidentified location in China also had their Meta accounts removed. Researchers at Canadian cybersecurity organisation Citizen Lab also accused Cytrox of developing and selling spyware used to hack Egyptian opposition figure Ayman Nour's phone. Also read | This is how Huawei is associated with China’s state surveillance "These cyber mercenaries often claim that their services only target criminals and terrorists," said a Meta statement. "Targeting is in fact indiscriminate and includes journalists, dissidents, critics of authoritarian regimes, families of opposition members and human rights activists," it added. "We have banned them from our services." In most cases, the companies selling "web intelligence services" gather information from publicly available online sources, such as news reports and Wikipedia, before beginning the surveillance process. Cyber mercenaries then created fake accounts on social media sites to gather info about users, Meta investigators said, joining groups and conversations to get further details. A third tactic is to gain a target's trust on a social network and then trick the person into clicking a booby-trapped link or file that installs software that can then steal information from their devices. Watch | Meta crackdown on spy firms: 1,500 accounts suspended This kind of access allows mercenaries to steal data from a target's phone or computer. In addition, they can silently activate microphones, cameras, and tracking systems. While Meta was not being able to pinpoint who ran the Chinese operation, it tracked "command and control" of the surveillance tool to servers that appeared to be used by law enforcement officials in China. (With inputs from agencies)

Meta bans array of 'cyber mercenary' groups, warns 50,000 people that were targeted

Huawei technologies for a long time has dismissed questions pertaining to its role in China’s state surveillance. While the company claims that it is selling general-purpose networking gear, a report by The Washington Post suggests that the company has had a bigger role than what has been told.&nbsp;

China is trying to build, what is being dubbed as one of the world's most sophisticated surveillance technology. Security officials in the Henan province of China have authorised a surveillance system through which they aim to track&nbsp;journalists and international students and various other "suspicious people."

The Washington Post reviewed over 100 Huawei PowerPoint presentations, out of which many were marked as "confidential."

The presentations depict how the company's technologies can help the government identify individuals by voice. It can also help in monitoring political individuals, managing ideological reeducation and labour schedules for prisoners.&nbsp;

In response, the company issued a statement saying, "Huawei has no knowledge of the projects mentioned in the Washington Post report. Like all other major service providers, Huawei provides cloud platform services that comply with common industry standards.”

Huawei’s public denial further raises a major question about the transparency at the world’s largest vendor of telecommunications gear.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/sophisticated-surveillance-technology-chinese-province-targets-suspicious-people-432885">Also read |&nbsp;'Sophisticated surveillance technology': Chinese province targets 'suspicious people'</a>

Huawei had earlier said that it has not developed or sold systems that target any specific group of people. However, the Washington Post reviewed over 3,000 PowerPoint slides. These slides&nbsp;highlighted the surveillance projects co-developed by Huawei. Five of the most relevant slides included - Voice recording analysis, prison and detention centre monitoring, location tracking, Xinjiang surveillance, and corporate monitoring.&nbsp;

Many of these slides showed surveillance functions that are specific to police and government agencies.&nbsp;Some of these surveillance products were also listed in a Huawei online catalogue as of this month.&nbsp;

While many have been removed from the catalogue, but they are still visible in various government procurement documents.&nbsp;

The Chinese embassy in Washington has deemed the criticism of the company as groundless. “Huawei has long publicly expressed its readiness to sign a ‘no back door’ agreement and to set up a cyber security assessment center in any country to receive external scrutiny,” it said.&nbsp;

Huawei technologies for a long time has dismissed questions pertaining to its role in China’s state surveillance. While the company claims that it is selling general-purpose networking gear, a report by The Washington Post suggests that the company has had a bigger role than what has been told.

Huawei technologies for a long time has dismissed questions pertaining to its role in China’s state surveillance. While the company claims that it is selling general-purpose networking gear, a report by The Washington Post suggests that the company has had a bigger role than what has been told. China is trying to build, what is being dubbed as one of the world's most sophisticated surveillance technology. Security officials in the Henan province of China have authorised a surveillance system through which they aim to track journalists and international students and various other "suspicious people." The Washington Post reviewed over 100 Huawei PowerPoint presentations, out of which many were marked as "confidential." The presentations depict how the company's technologies can help the government identify individuals by voice. It can also help in monitoring political individuals, managing ideological reeducation and labour schedules for prisoners. In response, the company issued a statement saying, "Huawei has no knowledge of the projects mentioned in the Washington Post report. Like all other major service providers, Huawei provides cloud platform services that comply with common industry standards.” Huawei’s public denial further raises a major question about the transparency at the world’s largest vendor of telecommunications gear. Also read | 'Sophisticated surveillance technology': Chinese province targets 'suspicious people' Huawei had earlier said that it has not developed or sold systems that target any specific group of people. However, the Washington Post reviewed over 3,000 PowerPoint slides. These slides highlighted the surveillance projects co-developed by Huawei. Five of the most relevant slides included - Voice recording analysis, prison and detention centre monitoring, location tracking, Xinjiang surveillance, and corporate monitoring. Many of these slides showed surveillance functions that are specific to police and government agencies. Some of these surveillance products were also listed in a Huawei online catalogue as of this month. While many have been removed from the catalogue, but they are still visible in various government procurement documents. The Chinese embassy in Washington has deemed the criticism of the company as groundless. “Huawei has long publicly expressed its readiness to sign a ‘no back door’ agreement and to set up a cyber security assessment center in any country to receive external scrutiny,” it said.

This is how Huawei is associated with China’s state surveillance

The security forces in Kashmir will put an "aerial surveillance cover" over the areas where the minority community lives. There would be a cover over Srinagar’s main city centre Lal Chowk too. The security has been put on high alert across the union territory, ahead of the visit of Home Minister Amit Shah.&nbsp;

From now on, 15 areas that have minority community residents will be monitored through&nbsp;aerial surveillance. The number of security personnel on the ground has also been increased and new bunkers have been put in place at various locations in Srinagar city.&nbsp;

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/india-to-administer-next-billion-vaccines-in-next-3-4-months-vaccine-panel-head-422967" hreflang="en">India to administer next billion vaccines in next 3-4 months: Vaccine panel head</a>

"In a high level meeting with&nbsp;the&nbsp;top officials of security agencies, we have decided that minority areas need to be more protected. The idea was given by&nbsp;DG JK police that we should have drone grid over these areas. We have identified around 15 areas in Srinagar which will be under the aerial surveillance from now on," said Mathev A John, Deputy Inspector General of CRPF (operations).

The city would have round-the-clock checkpoints&nbsp;in place jointly by the police and CRPF to keep a close watch on the suspects. The vigil will remain in place even after the visit of the Home Minister.&nbsp;

''Security has been increased, what we are doing is not only for the visit of the Home Minister but whatever we are introducing is on a long term basis. We are energising the nakas (checkpoints), starting a drone grid and continuing with flash nakas (checkpoints) and flash checking. The number of security personnel have been increased and bunkers have been relocated,''&nbsp;he added.

Kashmir has been on high alert since the recent civilian killings in the valley. Security forces claim to have killed six of the militants responsible for the killings of these civilians.&nbsp;

The security forces in Kashmir will put an "aerial surveillance cover" over the areas where the minority community lives. There would be a cover over Srinagar’s main city centre Lal Chowk too.

The security forces in Kashmir will put an "aerial surveillance cover" over the areas where the minority community lives. There would be a cover over Srinagar’s main city centre Lal Chowk too. The security has been put on high alert across the union territory, ahead of the visit of Home Minister Amit Shah. From now on, 15 areas that have minority community residents will be monitored through aerial surveillance. The number of security personnel on the ground has also been increased and new bunkers have been put in place at various locations in Srinagar city. Also read | India to administer next billion vaccines in next 3-4 months: Vaccine panel head "In a high level meeting with the top officials of security agencies, we have decided that minority areas need to be more protected. The idea was given by DG JK police that we should have drone grid over these areas. We have identified around 15 areas in Srinagar which will be under the aerial surveillance from now on," said Mathev A John, Deputy Inspector General of CRPF (operations). The city would have round-the-clock checkpoints in place jointly by the police and CRPF to keep a close watch on the suspects. The vigil will remain in place even after the visit of the Home Minister. ''Security has been increased, what we are doing is not only for the visit of the Home Minister but whatever we are introducing is on a long term basis. We are energising the nakas (checkpoints), starting a drone grid and continuing with flash nakas (checkpoints) and flash checking. The number of security personnel have been increased and bunkers have been relocated,'' he added. Kashmir has been on high alert since the recent civilian killings in the valley. Security forces claim to have killed six of the militants responsible for the killings of these civilians.

Kashmir: Aerial surveillance over areas where minority community lives

Eastern Army Commander Lieutenant General Manoj Pande on Tuesday said the Chinese Army's activities have increased marginally in-depth areas across the Line of Actual Control (LAC) which is under tight surveillance of the Indian Army.

"The annual training exercise that the People`s Liberation Army (PLA) carries out, there has been some increase in the level of activities but that is in the depth areas.

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/amid-civilian-killings-indian-army-chief-visits-jammu-to-review-security-situation-421953">Amid civilian killings, Indian Army chief visits Jammu to review security situation</a>

Some of the reserve formations of the PLA which were mobilised have continued to remain in their training areas but that again is in operational depth.

We have enhanced our surveillance both in LAC and depth areas," Lieutenant General Pande said. Eastern Army commander mentioned that both sides are attempting to develop infrastructure closer to LAC which leads to certain issues at times.

"As per their (PLA) strategy model, villages have come up near the border. It is a matter of concern how that can be used.&nbsp;We have taken cognisance of this in our plans," he added.

There has been a marginal increase in the border defence troops, who are already deployed at the LAC.

Talking about the steps and measures taken by the Army in terms of surveillance, Lieutenant General Pande said, "We have taken a number of steps and measure. The foremost would be enhancing our surveillance in both -- on the Line of Actual Control as well as depth areas. This is what we are doing by synergising efforts of all our surveillance resources, right from strategic level till the tactical level."

Lt Gen Pande assured that adequate forces are available in each sector to deal with any contingencies that may arise said, "We are also practising and rehearsing contingencies that may come up."

"In certain areas, we have strengthened the deployment. Largely, there has been no major increase or increment in terms of the number of forces that we have deployed at LAC," he added.

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Eastern army commander reiterated that Army is looking at maximising the potential of incorporating technology to the maximum extent possible.

"We have inducted surveillance drones, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and have better surveillance radars, better communication systems, better night vision ability. Introduction of technology has remained one of our key areas and a number of steps are taken towards it," he said.

On October 10, the 13th round of the India-China Corps Commander-level meeting was held at the Chushul-Moldo border meeting point.&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

Eastern Army Commander Lieutenant General Manoj Pande on Tuesday said the Chinese Army's activities have increased marginally in-depth areas across the Line of Actual Control (LAC) which is under tight surveillance of the Indian Army.

Eastern Army Commander Lieutenant General Manoj Pande on Tuesday said the Chinese Army's activities have increased marginally in-depth areas across the Line of Actual Control (LAC) which is under tight surveillance of the Indian Army. "The annual training exercise that the People`s Liberation Army (PLA) carries out, there has been some increase in the level of activities but that is in the depth areas. Also Read | Amid civilian killings, Indian Army chief visits Jammu to review security situation Some of the reserve formations of the PLA which were mobilised have continued to remain in their training areas but that again is in operational depth. We have enhanced our surveillance both in LAC and depth areas," Lieutenant General Pande said. Eastern Army commander mentioned that both sides are attempting to develop infrastructure closer to LAC which leads to certain issues at times. "As per their (PLA) strategy model, villages have come up near the border. It is a matter of concern how that can be used. We have taken cognisance of this in our plans," he added. There has been a marginal increase in the border defence troops, who are already deployed at the LAC. Talking about the steps and measures taken by the Army in terms of surveillance, Lieutenant General Pande said, "We have taken a number of steps and measure. The foremost would be enhancing our surveillance in both -- on the Line of Actual Control as well as depth areas. This is what we are doing by synergising efforts of all our surveillance resources, right from strategic level till the tactical level." Lt Gen Pande assured that adequate forces are available in each sector to deal with any contingencies that may arise said, "We are also practising and rehearsing contingencies that may come up." "In certain areas, we have strengthened the deployment. Largely, there has been no major increase or increment in terms of the number of forces that we have deployed at LAC," he added. Also Read | 11 civilians killed in October alone in terrorist attacks in J&K Eastern army commander reiterated that Army is looking at maximising the potential of incorporating technology to the maximum extent possible. "We have inducted surveillance drones, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and have better surveillance radars, better communication systems, better night vision ability. Introduction of technology has remained one of our key areas and a number of steps are taken towards it," he said. On October 10, the 13th round of the India-China Corps Commander-level meeting was held at the Chushul-Moldo border meeting point.

LAC under constant surveillance amid increased activities of Chinese Army: Eastern Army commander

In China, it’s just not the government that is constantly tracking its citizens. Technology companies in the region are also using rigorous tactics to keep a watchful gaze on their employees. Watch the story for more details.

Chinese tech firms keep employees under extreme surveillance

On Feb. 6, 2018, Apple received a grand jury subpoena for the names and phone records connected to 109 email addresses and phone numbers. It was one of the more than 250 data requests that the company received on average from US law enforcement each week at the time. An Apple paralegal complied and provided the information.

This year, a gag order on the subpoena expired. Apple said it alerted the people who were the subjects of the subpoena, just as it does with dozens of customers each day. But this request was out of the ordinary.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-officials-seized-apple-data-of-two-democratic-lawmakers-new-york-times-390716">Trump officials seized Apple data of two Democratic lawmakers: New York Times</a>

Without knowing it, Apple said, it had handed over the data of congressional staffers, their families and at least two members of Congress, including Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., then the House Intelligence Committee’s ranking member and now its chair. It turned out the subpoena was part of a wide-ranging investigation by the Trump administration into leaks of classified information.

The revelations have now plunged Apple into the middle of a firestorm over the Trump administration’s efforts to find the sources of news stories, and the handling underscores the flood of law enforcement requests that tech companies increasingly contend with. The number of these requests has soared in recent years to thousands a week, putting Apple and other tech giants like Google and Microsoft in an uncomfortable position between law enforcement, the courts and the customers whose privacy they have promised to protect.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/apple-google-and-a-deal-that-controls-the-internet-337885">Apple, Google and a deal that controls the internet</a>

The companies regularly comply with the requests because they are legally required to do so. The subpoenas can be vague, so Apple, Google and others are often unclear on the nature or subject of an investigation. They can challenge some subpoenas if they are too broad or if they relate to a corporate client. In the first six months of 2020, Apple challenged 238 demands from the government for its customers’ account data or 4 per cent of such requests.

As part of the same leak investigation by the Trump administration, Google fought a gag order this year on a subpoena to turn over data on the emails of four New York Times reporters. Google argued that its contract as The Times’ corporate email provider required it to inform the newspaper of any government requests for its emails, said Ted Boutrous, an outside lawyer for The Times.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/privacy-for-sale-as-apple-and-facebook-fight-for-consumers-354932">Privacy for sale as Apple and Facebook fight for consumers</a>

But more frequently than not, the companies comply with law enforcement demands. And that underlines an awkward truth: As their products become more central to people’s lives, the world’s largest tech companies have become surveillance intermediaries and crucial partners to authorities, with the power to arbitrate which requests to honour and which to reject.

Fred Sainz, an Apple spokesman, said in a statement that the company regularly challenged government data requests and informed affected customers as soon as it legally could.

“In this case, the subpoena, which was issued by a federal grand jury and included a nondisclosure order signed by a federal magistrate judge, provided no information on the nature of the investigation and it would have been virtually impossible for Apple to understand the intent of the desired information without digging through users’ accounts,” he said. “Consistent with the request, Apple limited the information it provided to account subscriber information and did not provide any content such as emails or pictures.”

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-lawmakers-question-google-twitter-and-others-over-auction-of-user-data-375266">US lawmakers question Google, Twitter and others over auction of user data</a>

In a statement, Microsoft said it received a subpoena in 2017 related to a personal email account. It said it notified the customer after the gag order expired and learned that the person was a congressional staff member. “We will continue to aggressively seek reform that imposes reasonable limits on government secrecy in cases like this,” the company said.

Google declined to comment on whether it received a subpoena related to the investigation on the House Intelligence Committee.

The Justice Department has not commented publicly on Apple’s turning over House Intelligence Committee records. In congressional testimony this week, Attorney General Merrick Garland sidestepped criticism of the Trump administration’s decisions and said the seizure of records was made “under a set of policies that have existed for decades.”

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-defense-intelligence-agency-admits-it-bought-peoples-location-data-report-358741">US Defense Intelligence Agency admits it bought people's location data: Report</a>

In the Justice Department’s leak investigation, Apple and Microsoft turned over the so-called metadata of people who worked in Congress, including phone records, device information, and addresses. It is not unusual for the Justice Department to subpoena such metadata, because the information can be used to establish whether someone had contact with a member of the media or whether the person’s work or home accounts were tied to anonymous accounts that were used to disseminate classified information.

Under the gag orders that authorities placed on the subpoenas, Apple and Microsoft also agreed to not tell those people whose information was being demanded. In Apple’s case, a yearlong gag order was renewed three separate times. That contrasted with Google, which resisted the gag order on a subpoena to turn over data on the four Times reporters.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-surveillance-of-democrats-sparks-abuse-of-power-claims-390987">Trump surveillance of Democrats sparks abuse of power claims</a>

The differing responses are largely explained by the different relationships the companies had with their customers in the case. Apple and Microsoft were ordered to hand over data related to individual accounts, while the subpoena to Google affected a corporate customer, which was governed by a contract. That contract gave Google a more specific basis on which to challenge the gag order, lawyers said.

The subpoena to Apple was also more opaque, it simply asked for information about a series of email addresses and phone numbers, and the company said it did not know it related to an investigation into Congress. For Google, it was clear that the Justice Department sought records from The Times because the email addresses were clearly those of Times reporters.

Google said it generally did not handle requests for customer information differently for individual accounts and corporate customers. But the company has a strong argument to redirect requests for data of corporate customers based on the Justice Department’s own recommendations.

In guidelines released in 2017, the Justice Department urged prosecutors to “seek data directly” from companies instead of going through a technology provider, unless doing so was impractical or would compromise the investigation. By going to Google to seize information about the reporters, the Justice Department sought to circumvent The Times. Google declined to say whether it used the Justice Department guidelines to fight the gag order.

Google said it produced some data in 83 per cent of the nearly 40,000 requests for information from US government agencies it received in the first half of 2020. By comparison, it produced some data in 39 per cent of requests for information on 398 paying corporate customers of Google Cloud, including its email and web-hosting offerings, during the same time period.

Law enforcement requests for data from American tech companies have more than doubled in recent years. Facebook said it received nearly 123,000 data requests from the US government last year, up from 37,000 in 2015.

Apple said that in the first half of 2020, it received an average of 400 requests a week for customer data from US law enforcement, more than double the rate five years prior. The company’s compliance rate has remained roughly between 80 per cent and 85 per cent for years.

Authorities are also demanding information about more accounts in each request. In the first half of 2020, each US government subpoena or warrant to Apple requested data for 11 accounts or devices on average, up from fewer than three accounts or devices in the first half of 2015, the company said.

Apple said that after the government began including more than 100 accounts in some subpoenas, as it did in the leak investigation in 2018, it asked law enforcement to limit requests to 25 accounts each. Police did not always comply, the company said.

Apple has often challenged subpoenas that included so many accounts because they were too broad, said a former senior lawyer for the company, who spoke on the condition of confidentiality. This person said that it would not have been surprising for Apple to challenge the 2018 Justice Department subpoena but that whether a request was challenged often depended on whether a paralegal handling the subpoena elevated it to more senior lawyers.

On Feb. 6, 2018, Apple received a grand jury subpoena for the names and phone records connected to 109 email addresses and phone numbers. It was one of the more than 250 data requests that the company received on average from US law enforcement each week at the time.

On Feb. 6, 2018, Apple received a grand jury subpoena for the names and phone records connected to 109 email addresses and phone numbers. It was one of the more than 250 data requests that the company received on average from US law enforcement each week at the time. An Apple paralegal complied and provided the information. This year, a gag order on the subpoena expired. Apple said it alerted the people who were the subjects of the subpoena, just as it does with dozens of customers each day. But this request was out of the ordinary. Also read | Trump officials seized Apple data of two Democratic lawmakers: New York Times Without knowing it, Apple said, it had handed over the data of congressional staffers, their families and at least two members of Congress, including Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., then the House Intelligence Committee’s ranking member and now its chair. It turned out the subpoena was part of a wide-ranging investigation by the Trump administration into leaks of classified information. The revelations have now plunged Apple into the middle of a firestorm over the Trump administration’s efforts to find the sources of news stories, and the handling underscores the flood of law enforcement requests that tech companies increasingly contend with. The number of these requests has soared in recent years to thousands a week, putting Apple and other tech giants like Google and Microsoft in an uncomfortable position between law enforcement, the courts and the customers whose privacy they have promised to protect. Also read | Apple, Google and a deal that controls the internet The companies regularly comply with the requests because they are legally required to do so. The subpoenas can be vague, so Apple, Google and others are often unclear on the nature or subject of an investigation. They can challenge some subpoenas if they are too broad or if they relate to a corporate client. In the first six months of 2020, Apple challenged 238 demands from the government for its customers’ account data or 4 per cent of such requests. As part of the same leak investigation by the Trump administration, Google fought a gag order this year on a subpoena to turn over data on the emails of four New York Times reporters. Google argued that its contract as The Times’ corporate email provider required it to inform the newspaper of any government requests for its emails, said Ted Boutrous, an outside lawyer for The Times. Also read | Privacy for sale as Apple and Facebook fight for consumers But more frequently than not, the companies comply with law enforcement demands. And that underlines an awkward truth: As their products become more central to people’s lives, the world’s largest tech companies have become surveillance intermediaries and crucial partners to authorities, with the power to arbitrate which requests to honour and which to reject. Fred Sainz, an Apple spokesman, said in a statement that the company regularly challenged government data requests and informed affected customers as soon as it legally could. “In this case, the subpoena, which was issued by a federal grand jury and included a nondisclosure order signed by a federal magistrate judge, provided no information on the nature of the investigation and it would have been virtually impossible for Apple to understand the intent of the desired information without digging through users’ accounts,” he said. “Consistent with the request, Apple limited the information it provided to account subscriber information and did not provide any content such as emails or pictures.” Also read | US lawmakers question Google, Twitter and others over auction of user data In a statement, Microsoft said it received a subpoena in 2017 related to a personal email account. It said it notified the customer after the gag order expired and learned that the person was a congressional staff member. “We will continue to aggressively seek reform that imposes reasonable limits on government secrecy in cases like this,” the company said. Google declined to comment on whether it received a subpoena related to the investigation on the House Intelligence Committee. The Justice Department has not commented publicly on Apple’s turning over House Intelligence Committee records. In congressional testimony this week, Attorney General Merrick Garland sidestepped criticism of the Trump administration’s decisions and said the seizure of records was made “under a set of policies that have existed for decades.” Also read | US Defense Intelligence Agency admits it bought people's location data: Report In the Justice Department’s leak investigation, Apple and Microsoft turned over the so-called metadata of people who worked in Congress, including phone records, device information, and addresses. It is not unusual for the Justice Department to subpoena such metadata, because the information can be used to establish whether someone had contact with a member of the media or whether the person’s work or home accounts were tied to anonymous accounts that were used to disseminate classified information. Under the gag orders that authorities placed on the subpoenas, Apple and Microsoft also agreed to not tell those people whose information was being demanded. In Apple’s case, a yearlong gag order was renewed three separate times. That contrasted with Google, which resisted the gag order on a subpoena to turn over data on the four Times reporters. Also read | Trump surveillance of Democrats sparks abuse of power claims The differing responses are largely explained by the different relationships the companies had with their customers in the case. Apple and Microsoft were ordered to hand over data related to individual accounts, while the subpoena to Google affected a corporate customer, which was governed by a contract. That contract gave Google a more specific basis on which to challenge the gag order, lawyers said. The subpoena to Apple was also more opaque, it simply asked for information about a series of email addresses and phone numbers, and the company said it did not know it related to an investigation into Congress. For Google, it was clear that the Justice Department sought records from The Times because the email addresses were clearly those of Times reporters. Google said it generally did not handle requests for customer information differently for individual accounts and corporate customers. But the company has a strong argument to redirect requests for data of corporate customers based on the Justice Department’s own recommendations. In guidelines released in 2017, the Justice Department urged prosecutors to “seek data directly” from companies instead of going through a technology provider, unless doing so was impractical or would compromise the investigation. By going to Google to seize information about the reporters, the Justice Department sought to circumvent The Times. Google declined to say whether it used the Justice Department guidelines to fight the gag order. Google said it produced some data in 83 per cent of the nearly 40,000 requests for information from US government agencies it received in the first half of 2020. By comparison, it produced some data in 39 per cent of requests for information on 398 paying corporate customers of Google Cloud, including its email and web-hosting offerings, during the same time period. Law enforcement requests for data from American tech companies have more than doubled in recent years. Facebook said it received nearly 123,000 data requests from the US government last year, up from 37,000 in 2015. Apple said that in the first half of 2020, it received an average of 400 requests a week for customer data from US law enforcement, more than double the rate five years prior. The company’s compliance rate has remained roughly between 80 per cent and 85 per cent for years. Authorities are also demanding information about more accounts in each request. In the first half of 2020, each US government subpoena or warrant to Apple requested data for 11 accounts or devices on average, up from fewer than three accounts or devices in the first half of 2015, the company said. Apple said that after the government began including more than 100 accounts in some subpoenas, as it did in the leak investigation in 2018, it asked law enforcement to limit requests to 25 accounts each. Police did not always comply, the company said. Apple has often challenged subpoenas that included so many accounts because they were too broad, said a former senior lawyer for the company, who spoke on the condition of confidentiality. This person said that it would not have been surprising for Apple to challenge the 2018 Justice Department subpoena but that whether a request was challenged often depended on whether a paralegal handling the subpoena elevated it to more senior lawyers.

Tech giants are plunged into political firestorm

The US government said on Saturday it would stop secretly obtaining reporters' phone and email records during investigations into political leaks, ending a practice that was often criticised as undermining press freedom.

The New York Times this week reported that under Donald Trump's administration and continuing under President Joe Biden, the Justice Department fought a covert legal battle to access email logs of four of its reporters in a hunt for leak sources.

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science-tech/major-us-tech-firms-press-congress-for-internet-surveillance-reforms-16104">Major US tech firms press Congress for internet surveillance reforms</a>

The Department of Justice said in a statement that "in a change to its longstanding practice,&nbsp;(it) will not seek compulsory legal process in leak investigations to obtain source information from members of the news media."

It added that it had "completed a review to determine all instances in which the Department had pending compulsory requests from reporters in leak investigations.

"All reporters involved have now been notified."

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White House press secretary Jen Psaki said "the issuing of subpoenas for the records of reporters in leak investigations is not consistent with the president's policy direction."

Among other media outlets, CNN&nbsp;reported last month that the Trump administration had secretly sought and obtained phone and email records of one of its correspondents.

The US government said on Saturday it would stop secretly obtaining reporters' phone and email records during investigations into political leaks, ending a practice that was often criticised as undermining press freedom.

The US government said on Saturday it would stop secretly obtaining reporters' phone and email records during investigations into political leaks, ending a practice that was often criticised as undermining press freedom. The New York Times this week reported that under Donald Trump's administration and continuing under President Joe Biden, the Justice Department fought a covert legal battle to access email logs of four of its reporters in a hunt for leak sources. Also Read | Major US tech firms press Congress for internet surveillance reforms The Department of Justice said in a statement that "in a change to its longstanding practice, (it) will not seek compulsory legal process in leak investigations to obtain source information from members of the news media." It added that it had "completed a review to determine all instances in which the Department had pending compulsory requests from reporters in leak investigations. "All reporters involved have now been notified." Also Read | Miles Taylor, a former Homeland security official, reveals he was ‘anonymous’ White House press secretary Jen Psaki said "the issuing of subpoenas for the records of reporters in leak investigations is not consistent with the president's policy direction." Among other media outlets, CNN reported last month that the Trump administration had secretly sought and obtained phone and email records of one of its correspondents.

US says it will no longer seize reporters' records in leak probes

The US State Department has approved the potential sale of six Boeing-made P-8I patrol aircraft and related equipment to India for an estimated cost of $2,420,000, the Pentagon said on Friday.&nbsp;

India's potential purchase of P-8 aircraft would help expand its maritime surveillance capabilities.&nbsp;

The package would include tactical radio, missile warning sensors, GPS systems, support equipment, spares and technical support, the Pentagon said.&nbsp;

The Pentagon's Defence Security Cooperation Agency notified Congress of the possible sale on Friday. &nbsp;

Despite approval by the State Department, the notification does not indicate that a contract has been signed or that negotiations have concluded.&nbsp;

The Pentagon said Boeing was the prime contractor for the weapons. &nbsp;

India's first purchase of P-8I aircraft was in 2009.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies) &nbsp;

The US State Department has approved the potential sale of six Boeing-made P-8I patrol aircraft and related equipment to India for an estimated cost of $2,420,000, the Pentagon said on Friday.

The US State Department has approved the potential sale of six Boeing-made P-8I patrol aircraft and related equipment to India for an estimated cost of $2,420,000, the Pentagon said on Friday. India's potential purchase of P-8 aircraft would help expand its maritime surveillance capabilities. The package would include tactical radio, missile warning sensors, GPS systems, support equipment, spares and technical support, the Pentagon said. The Pentagon's Defence Security Cooperation Agency notified Congress of the possible sale on Friday. Despite approval by the State Department, the notification does not indicate that a contract has been signed or that negotiations have concluded. The Pentagon said Boeing was the prime contractor for the weapons. India's first purchase of P-8I aircraft was in 2009. (With inputs from agencies)

US State Department OKs potential sale of P-8 surveillance planes to India: Pentagon 

Germany has flagged its largest opposition party AFD as an extremist group. Germany's domestic intelligence service formerly placed the far-right party under surveillance.

Germany: Far-right AFD party flagged as suspected extremist group

Twitter has reacted to the recent media reports and cleared the air regarding the service that monitors tweets for police.

The service in question is Dataminr, which is a customer of Twitter's API that taps into the public tweets to alert the police about any possible danger to the lives of people.

Many accused Dataminr of defying the rules of the&nbsp;surveillance ban. However, Twitter has slammed back and rubbished all these accusations claiming the service is not used for surveillance.

"Twitter prohibits the use of our developer services for surveillance purposes. Period,"&nbsp;Twitter's spokesperson said.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/tiktok-launches-guide-on-fighting-misinformation-during-us-elections-331332">Also read:&nbsp;TikTok launches guide on fighting misinformation during US elections</a>

"We are committed to protecting the people who use Twitter from abuse, both on our service and through our APIs. We see a societal benefit in public Twitter data being used for news alerting, first responder support, and disaster relief," company added.

Twitter claimed that the monitoring service is used to observe the flow of the public tweets related to any threat being posed to civilians and civil movements. This is done through the use of artificial intelligence that looks out for specific assigned keywords.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/twitter-erupts-over-a-questionable-chai-latte-recipe-take-a-look-at-these-hilarious-takes-331121">Also read:&nbsp;Twitter erupts over a questionable 'Chai Latte' recipe. Take a look at these hilarious takes!</a>

As per the company, the service&nbsp;"notifies first responders about critical events as they're happening, minimizing response time and enabling them to act quickly and confidently."

The First Alert is based purely on the tweets collected from the public domain and has been coded to strictly follow the&nbsp;Twitter policy against surveillance.

This, as per the company, helps in curbing attacks near sensitive areas such as schools — which have often been a target of shooting.

The issue was raised by the American daily newspaper Wall Street Journal that issued a report citing an email&nbsp;in which Dataminr had supplied information related to upcoming protests, related to Black Lives Matter, from various Twitter handles of general public. The claim has not been proved.

Twitter, however, has claimed that they conduct regular audits related to the safety issue and "proactively enforce our policies to ensure customers are in compliance and will continue to do so," the Twitter spokesman said.

"We consistently hold ourselves accountable to rigorous standards, including third-party audits of key products and services like Dataminr."

Twitter has also clarified that the data being observed is strictly limited to tweets, and no personal information is extracted in any case. For the locked accounts, "nothing is viewable".

The spokesperson has also clarified that an extensive audit was conducted through independent auditors and no evidence that&nbsp;corroborates the claim made in the WSJ’s article were found.

Twitter has reacted to the recent media reports and cleared the air regarding the service that monitors tweets for police. The service in question is Dataminr, which is a customer of Twitter's API that taps into the public tweets to alert the police about any possible danger to the lives of people.

Twitter has reacted to the recent media reports and cleared the air regarding the service that monitors tweets for police. The service in question is Dataminr, which is a customer of Twitter's API that taps into the public tweets to alert the police about any possible danger to the lives of people. Many accused Dataminr of defying the rules of the surveillance ban. However, Twitter has slammed back and rubbished all these accusations claiming the service is not used for surveillance. "Twitter prohibits the use of our developer services for surveillance purposes. Period," Twitter's spokesperson said. Also read: TikTok launches guide on fighting misinformation during US elections "We are committed to protecting the people who use Twitter from abuse, both on our service and through our APIs. We see a societal benefit in public Twitter data being used for news alerting, first responder support, and disaster relief," company added. Twitter claimed that the monitoring service is used to observe the flow of the public tweets related to any threat being posed to civilians and civil movements. This is done through the use of artificial intelligence that looks out for specific assigned keywords. Also read: Twitter erupts over a questionable 'Chai Latte' recipe. Take a look at these hilarious takes! As per the company, the service "notifies first responders about critical events as they're happening, minimizing response time and enabling them to act quickly and confidently." The First Alert is based purely on the tweets collected from the public domain and has been coded to strictly follow the Twitter policy against surveillance. This, as per the company, helps in curbing attacks near sensitive areas such as schools — which have often been a target of shooting. The issue was raised by the American daily newspaper Wall Street Journal that issued a report citing an email in which Dataminr had supplied information related to upcoming protests, related to Black Lives Matter, from various Twitter handles of general public. The claim has not been proved. Twitter, however, has claimed that they conduct regular audits related to the safety issue and "proactively enforce our policies to ensure customers are in compliance and will continue to do so," the Twitter spokesman said. "We consistently hold ourselves accountable to rigorous standards, including third-party audits of key products and services like Dataminr." Twitter has also clarified that the data being observed is strictly limited to tweets, and no personal information is extracted in any case. For the locked accounts, "nothing is viewable". The spokesperson has also clarified that an extensive audit was conducted through independent auditors and no evidence that corroborates the claim made in the WSJ’s article were found.

Twitter claims monitoring service not for 'surveillance purposes'; no personal data collected

Wion's Executive Editor Palki Sharma Upadhyay In An Exclusive Conversation With Israel's Ambassador To India Ron Malka

WION Exclusive: Israel's Ambassador to India on Surveillance, Terrorism and Bilateral Ties

China's DJI, the world's largest commercial drone maker, said on Wednesday it is developing technology that would allow the public to track the registrations of drones in flight using just a smartphone, amid a broader industry push to make such data available.

SZ DJI Technology Co Ltd aims to roll out a free app in 2020, pending regulatory approval, that would allow its users for the first time to identify any modern drone with a phone, company executives told Reuters.

The push for remote identification technology comes amid regulatory calls for greater oversight of drone flight, on fears that untraceable, unmanned aircraft could be used for spying or accidentally disrupt commercial flights.

DJI, which has an estimated 70 per cent&nbsp;market share according to industry analysts, demonstrated its drone-to-phone transmission app at the United Nations aviation agency's Drone Enable conference in Montreal.

"We've created a remote identification solution that works with what people already have," said Brendan Schulman, vice president of policy and legal affairs at DJI.

While remote identification technology is already available on the market, the services are for purchase, involve equipment, and are often aimed at groups like companies, airports and law enforcement, industry executives said.

DJI says its app would work on drones within a 1 kilometre (0.62 miles) range using WiFi Aware-enabled smartphones.

Unauthorized drone flying and sightings have led to flight delays and cancellations at airports, costing the aviation industry millions of dollars.

The industry is eying ways to better track and identify drones similar to the use of license plates for cars, ahead of eventual rules from regulators like the US&nbsp;Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

"Remote identification is the #1 priority of the FAA with unmanned systems," said Philip Kenul, who chairs an industry-led committee on drone identification standards.

By improving the ability to track drones, companies like DJI aim to avert a crackdown on the usage of unmanned aircraft at a time of growing demand.

Global spending on drones is likely to reach $12.3 billion in 2019, up from $9 billion a year earlier, according to research firm IDC.

DJI's Schulman said that because people are worried about drones committing privacy violations, they call for restrictions on drones. "Rather than restrict operators, you can punish the operations that are actively harmful," he said.

China's DJI, the world's largest commercial drone maker, said on Wednesday it is developing technology that would allow the public to track the registrations of drones in flight using just a smartphone, amid a broader industry push to make such data available.

China's DJI, the world's largest commercial drone maker, said on Wednesday it is developing technology that would allow the public to track the registrations of drones in flight using just a smartphone, amid a broader industry push to make such data available. SZ DJI Technology Co Ltd aims to roll out a free app in 2020, pending regulatory approval, that would allow its users for the first time to identify any modern drone with a phone, company executives told Reuters. The push for remote identification technology comes amid regulatory calls for greater oversight of drone flight, on fears that untraceable, unmanned aircraft could be used for spying or accidentally disrupt commercial flights. DJI, which has an estimated 70 per cent market share according to industry analysts, demonstrated its drone-to-phone transmission app at the United Nations aviation agency's Drone Enable conference in Montreal. "We've created a remote identification solution that works with what people already have," said Brendan Schulman, vice president of policy and legal affairs at DJI. While remote identification technology is already available on the market, the services are for purchase, involve equipment, and are often aimed at groups like companies, airports and law enforcement, industry executives said. DJI says its app would work on drones within a 1 kilometre (0.62 miles) range using WiFi Aware-enabled smartphones. Unauthorized drone flying and sightings have led to flight delays and cancellations at airports, costing the aviation industry millions of dollars. The industry is eying ways to better track and identify drones similar to the use of license plates for cars, ahead of eventual rules from regulators like the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). "Remote identification is the #1 priority of the FAA with unmanned systems," said Philip Kenul, who chairs an industry-led committee on drone identification standards. By improving the ability to track drones, companies like DJI aim to avert a crackdown on the usage of unmanned aircraft at a time of growing demand. Global spending on drones is likely to reach $12.3 billion in 2019, up from $9 billion a year earlier, according to research firm IDC. DJI's Schulman said that because people are worried about drones committing privacy violations, they call for restrictions on drones. "Rather than restrict operators, you can punish the operations that are actively harmful," he said.

Amid privacy backlash, China's DJI unveils drone-to-phone tracking

A brief look at Israel's thriving hacking industry

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/facebook-launches-new-company-logo-260130">Facebook</a> vowed Tuesday to step up monitoring for any attempt to use its platform to meddle in Taiwan's elections as the island's authorities say they face growing interference from China.

Taiwan will elect a new president and parliament on January 11, and relations with the mainland are dominating the campaign.&nbsp;

Beijing has ramped up Taiwan's isolation ever since President Tsai Ing-wen took office three years ago because her party refuses to acknowledge that Taiwan is part of "one China". &nbsp;

Tsai is seeking a second term against Han Kuo-yu, a challenger who favours much warmer ties with Beijing.&nbsp;

She and her party have accused Beijing of attempting to influence the elections by spreading disinformation via social media.

On Tuesday Facebook said it would establish a regional election centre in Singapore in the final weeks before Taiwan's elections, following similar moves in the United States, India, Indonesia and the European Union.&nbsp;

"Protecting elections at the company is a major priority for us,"&nbsp;Kate Harbath, Facebook's public policy director and global&nbsp;elections lead, told reporters via a videoconference in Taipei.

"Now we are heavily focused on these upcoming elections in Taiwan," she added, as well as upcoming polls in countries including Sri Lanka and Singapore.&nbsp;

"Each election has different risks," she said, adding that the company starts a year before an election to assess what is involved.

Facebook said it currently has 40 teams that focus on elections, to increase transparency, reduce misinformation and harmful content, as well as removing inaccurate voting information or any content that violates community standards such as hate messages.

"Our product teams are building tooling to better monitor... in order for us to be able to take quicker action and we can respond to those things in realtime," Harbath said. &nbsp;

Faced with criticism that the site has been used to manipulate polls, Facebook has been under mounting pressure to improve how its spots meddling and misinformation, as well as scrutinising political adverts.&nbsp;

It will introduce strict criteria for political ads in Taiwan, requiring those who want to advertise about elections and politics to confirm their identity and location, and disclose who is responsible for the ad.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/lawsuit-accuses-facebook-ad-targeting-of-abetting-bias-259200">Facebook</a> said it has also been working with third-party checkers, including an independent fact-checking organisation in Taiwan.

In a global initiative set to start mid-November, the social network will also step up a system that makes clear when information comes from state-controlled media outlets.&nbsp;

Facebook in August removed hundreds of fake accounts it said was involved in "coordinated inauthentic behaviour" focused on Hong Kong's ongoing protests.

Since the protests began Beijing's well-oiled state media machinery has launched a global propaganda campaign both online and on social media.

Facebook said it has not detected such moves targeting Taiwan election so far.

Facebook vowed Tuesday to step up monitoring for any attempt to use its platform to meddle in Taiwan's elections as the island's authorities say they face growing interference from China.

Facebook vowed Tuesday to step up monitoring for any attempt to use its platform to meddle in Taiwan's elections as the island's authorities say they face growing interference from China. Taiwan will elect a new president and parliament on January 11, and relations with the mainland are dominating the campaign. Beijing has ramped up Taiwan's isolation ever since President Tsai Ing-wen took office three years ago because her party refuses to acknowledge that Taiwan is part of "one China". Tsai is seeking a second term against Han Kuo-yu, a challenger who favours much warmer ties with Beijing. She and her party have accused Beijing of attempting to influence the elections by spreading disinformation via social media. On Tuesday Facebook said it would establish a regional election centre in Singapore in the final weeks before Taiwan's elections, following similar moves in the United States, India, Indonesia and the European Union. "Protecting elections at the company is a major priority for us," Kate Harbath, Facebook's public policy director and global elections lead, told reporters via a videoconference in Taipei. "Now we are heavily focused on these upcoming elections in Taiwan," she added, as well as upcoming polls in countries including Sri Lanka and Singapore. "Each election has different risks," she said, adding that the company starts a year before an election to assess what is involved. Facebook said it currently has 40 teams that focus on elections, to increase transparency, reduce misinformation and harmful content, as well as removing inaccurate voting information or any content that violates community standards such as hate messages. "Our product teams are building tooling to better monitor... in order for us to be able to take quicker action and we can respond to those things in realtime," Harbath said. Faced with criticism that the site has been used to manipulate polls, Facebook has been under mounting pressure to improve how its spots meddling and misinformation, as well as scrutinising political adverts. It will introduce strict criteria for political ads in Taiwan, requiring those who want to advertise about elections and politics to confirm their identity and location, and disclose who is responsible for the ad. Facebook said it has also been working with third-party checkers, including an independent fact-checking organisation in Taiwan. In a global initiative set to start mid-November, the social network will also step up a system that makes clear when information comes from state-controlled media outlets. Facebook in August removed hundreds of fake accounts it said was involved in "coordinated inauthentic behaviour" focused on Hong Kong's ongoing protests. Since the protests began Beijing's well-oiled state media machinery has launched a global propaganda campaign both online and on social media. Facebook said it has not detected such moves targeting Taiwan election so far.

Amid controversies, Facebook steps up monitoring content for Taiwan elections

Beijing will use facial recognition tools to speed up security checks in the city's overcrowded metro, using a 'credit system' to sort passengers into different channels, state-run media reported on Wednesday.

Long queues and commuters arguing with staff over slow security procedures are common sites during rush hour in the metro system of the 20 million-strong metropolis.

The city plans to install cameras that will scan the faces of passengers as they enter a subway station and sort them into different security channels, said Zhan Minghui, director of the Beijing Rail Traffic Control Center.

He said the plan involves creating a "passenger credit system," and individuals on a "white list" will be offered expedited security clearance, Beijing Youth Daily reported.

Those who receive "abnormal feedback" after their faces are scanned will be subjected to extra checks.

Zhan did not offer details on the criteria used to sort passengers or what could trigger that type of feedback.

"The technique aims to improve the efficiency of security checks and includes both body checks and luggage screening when large numbers of passengers enter the station," he told an urban transportation forum in Beijing on Tuesday.

The Beijing subway in May said it has started "deducting credit points" from passengers who eat in railway carriages.

The city's subway system currently handles over 12 million trips on a workday and the number is expected to increase to 17 million trips by 2022.

Zhan did not offer a timetable for rolling out the technology.

Facial recognition is gaining traction across China, where it is being used for everything from supermarket checkouts to surveillance.

While researchers have warned of the privacy risks associated with gathering facial recognition data, consumers have widely embraced the technology.

The Universal Studios amusement park under construction in Beijing recently said it will admit visitors without a ticket, thanks to cameras that will scan their faces to determine if they paid for an entry.

Beijing will use facial recognition tools to speed up security checks in the city's overcrowded metro, using a 'credit system' to sort passengers into different channels, state-run media reported on Wednesday.

Beijing will use facial recognition tools to speed up security checks in the city's overcrowded metro, using a 'credit system' to sort passengers into different channels, state-run media reported on Wednesday. Long queues and commuters arguing with staff over slow security procedures are common sites during rush hour in the metro system of the 20 million-strong metropolis. The city plans to install cameras that will scan the faces of passengers as they enter a subway station and sort them into different security channels, said Zhan Minghui, director of the Beijing Rail Traffic Control Center. He said the plan involves creating a "passenger credit system," and individuals on a "white list" will be offered expedited security clearance, Beijing Youth Daily reported. Those who receive "abnormal feedback" after their faces are scanned will be subjected to extra checks. Zhan did not offer details on the criteria used to sort passengers or what could trigger that type of feedback. "The technique aims to improve the efficiency of security checks and includes both body checks and luggage screening when large numbers of passengers enter the station," he told an urban transportation forum in Beijing on Tuesday. The Beijing subway in May said it has started "deducting credit points" from passengers who eat in railway carriages. The city's subway system currently handles over 12 million trips on a workday and the number is expected to increase to 17 million trips by 2022. Zhan did not offer a timetable for rolling out the technology. Facial recognition is gaining traction across China, where it is being used for everything from supermarket checkouts to surveillance. While researchers have warned of the privacy risks associated with gathering facial recognition data, consumers have widely embraced the technology. The Universal Studios amusement park under construction in Beijing recently said it will admit visitors without a ticket, thanks to cameras that will scan their faces to determine if they paid for an entry.

Now, China eyes facial recognition tech for metro security

&nbsp;A group of pro-Kremlin lawmakers has drafted legislation that would allow authorities to block individual e-mail or online messenger users who circulate banned content.

The bill is likely to alarm advocates of internet freedoms, but the lawmakers say the legislation is needed to combat a wave of hoax bomb threats that have been sporadically called in across the country in recent years.

Under the proposed legislation, Internet companies would be required within 24 hours to block individual users who circulate illegal content if the Roskomnadzor state communications watchdog asks the companies to do so.

Companies that fail to comply would face a fine of 1 million roubles.

"In practice, it is efficient to completely block a user, not the individual messages sent by them," said Andrey Klishas, one of the lawmakers who drafted the bill.

Russian internet search company Yandex and Google declined to comment. Representatives of Facebook, Viber and Mail.ru Group have not yet responded to a Reuters request for comment.

Over the past five years, Russia has introduced tougher laws that require search engines to delete some search results, oblige messaging services to share encryption keys with security services, and make social networks store Russian users' personal data on servers within the country.

The Kremlin says it is trying to protect the integrity of the internet's Russian-language segment. The Kremlin's opponents fear the authorities are using security as a pretext to ramp up surveillance online.

To become law, the bill must be approved in three votes in the lower house of parliament before it is sent for approval in the upper house and then signed by President Vladimir Putin.

The bill can still be amended, but is likely to pass. Other bills tightening controls of the internet have been signed into law in Russia despite opposition from activists and industry lobbyists.

A group of pro-Kremlin lawmakers has drafted legislation that would allow authorities to block individual e-mail or online messenger users who circulate banned content.

A group of pro-Kremlin lawmakers has drafted legislation that would allow authorities to block individual e-mail or online messenger users who circulate banned content. The bill is likely to alarm advocates of internet freedoms, but the lawmakers say the legislation is needed to combat a wave of hoax bomb threats that have been sporadically called in across the country in recent years. Under the proposed legislation, Internet companies would be required within 24 hours to block individual users who circulate illegal content if the Roskomnadzor state communications watchdog asks the companies to do so. Companies that fail to comply would face a fine of 1 million roubles. "In practice, it is efficient to completely block a user, not the individual messages sent by them," said Andrey Klishas, one of the lawmakers who drafted the bill. Russian internet search company Yandex and Google declined to comment. Representatives of Facebook, Viber and Mail.ru Group have not yet responded to a Reuters request for comment. Over the past five years, Russia has introduced tougher laws that require search engines to delete some search results, oblige messaging services to share encryption keys with security services, and make social networks store Russian users' personal data on servers within the country. The Kremlin says it is trying to protect the integrity of the internet's Russian-language segment. The Kremlin's opponents fear the authorities are using security as a pretext to ramp up surveillance online. To become law, the bill must be approved in three votes in the lower house of parliament before it is sent for approval in the upper house and then signed by President Vladimir Putin. The bill can still be amended, but is likely to pass. Other bills tightening controls of the internet have been signed into law in Russia despite opposition from activists and industry lobbyists.

Russian lawmakers look to ban e-mail users who share illegal content

The US administration is considering limits to Chinese video surveillance firm Hikvision's ability to buy US technology, the New York Times reported on Tuesday, deepening worries about trade frictions between the world's two top economies.

The move would effectively place Hikvision on a US blacklist and US companies may have to obtain government approval to supply components to Hikvision, the paper said.

The US Commerce Department blocked Huawei Technologies from buying US goods last week, effectively banning US companies from doing business with the Chinese firm, a major escalation in the trade war, saying Huawei was involved in activities contrary to national security.

Hikvision and Dahua Technology which produce audio-visual equipment that can be used for surveillance were specifically cited in a letter to Trump's top advisers last month, signed by more than 40 lawmakers.

The lawmakers said China's actions in its western region of Xinjiang "may constitute crimes against humanity" and urged tighter US export controls to ensure that US companies are not assisting the Chinese government's crackdown there.

The group of signatories were led by US Senator Marco Rubio and US Representative Chris Smith on the Republican side and Senator Bob Menendez and Representative James McGovern on the Democratic side.

China has faced growing condemnation from Western capitals and rights groups for setting up facilities that UN experts describe as mass detention centres holding more than 1 million ethnic Uighurs and other Muslims.

Hikvision shares opened 10% lower.

The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the report. Hikvision could not be immediately reached for comment.

The US administration is considering limits to Chinese video surveillance firm Hikvision's ability to buy US technology, the New York Times reported on Tuesday, deepening worries about trade frictions between the world's two top economies.

The US administration is considering limits to Chinese video surveillance firm Hikvision's ability to buy US technology, the New York Times reported on Tuesday, deepening worries about trade frictions between the world's two top economies. The move would effectively place Hikvision on a US blacklist and US companies may have to obtain government approval to supply components to Hikvision, the paper said. The US Commerce Department blocked Huawei Technologies from buying US goods last week, effectively banning US companies from doing business with the Chinese firm, a major escalation in the trade war, saying Huawei was involved in activities contrary to national security. Hikvision and Dahua Technology which produce audio-visual equipment that can be used for surveillance were specifically cited in a letter to Trump's top advisers last month, signed by more than 40 lawmakers. The lawmakers said China's actions in its western region of Xinjiang "may constitute crimes against humanity" and urged tighter US export controls to ensure that US companies are not assisting the Chinese government's crackdown there. The group of signatories were led by US Senator Marco Rubio and US Representative Chris Smith on the Republican side and Senator Bob Menendez and Representative James McGovern on the Democratic side. China has faced growing condemnation from Western capitals and rights groups for setting up facilities that UN experts describe as mass detention centres holding more than 1 million ethnic Uighurs and other Muslims. Hikvision shares opened 10% lower. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the report. Hikvision could not be immediately reached for comment.

US could blacklist Chinese surveillance tech firm Hikvision: Report

Threats, arrests, <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/never-been-on-social-media-your-privacy-may-still-be-at-risk-says-study-191971">blocked accounts and restricted posts</a> -- Big Brother is watching more closely than ever in Pakistan as authorities accelerate efforts to censor <a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/nepal-social-media-bill-sparks-freedom-of-speech-concerns-198633">social networks</a>, further reducing an already shrunken space for dissent.

In the past 18 months, a slew of journalists, activists, and government opponents –- both at home and overseas -- have faced intimidation or the threat of legal action for their online posts.&nbsp;

Censorship is already rife among Pakistan's mainstream media, with the Committee to Protect Journalists noting last year that the military had "quietly but effectively" imposed strict limits on the scope of general news reporting.

Platforms such as Facebook and Twitter were regarded as the last holdouts of dissenting voices, but now that has changed.

In February, authorities announced the creation of a new enforcement arm to root out social media users accused of spreading "hate speech and violence" as part of the crackdown.

Gul Bukhari, a columnist and sometime government critic who was briefly abducted by unidentified men last year, said the assault on social media was carefully organised and coordinated.

"It is the last frontier they try to conquer," Bukhari explained.

&nbsp;Silence dissent&nbsp;

Journalist Rizwan-ur-Rehman Razi was among the people targeted. He was arrested in February at home in the eastern city of Lahore for publishing "defamatory and obnoxious" content against the state.

A few days earlier, he had criticised extra-judicial executions allegedly committed by the security forces, according to a copy of his tweets seen by AFP.

Released after two nights, he has not tweeted since, and his posts have been deleted.

The net cast by the crackdown is a wide one, with Shahzad Ahmad, director of the digital security NGO Bytes for All, pointing to the harassment of civil rights activists, the political opposition, and bloggers.

According to Annie Zaman, an expert on cyber-censorship in Pakistan, this is made possible by an all-encompassing 2016 law that prohibits online posts that are deemed to compromise state security or offend anything from "the glory of Islam" to non-defined notions of "decency and morality".

"Because this law is vague, it gave more space to the authorities to censor online," Zaman said.

Offenders can face up to 14 years in prison.

The military signalled its involvement in the campaign as early as June last year, when spokesman Major General Asif Ghafoor boasted of the capacity to monitor social media accounts during a televised press conference.

In a clear warning, Ghafoor briefly showed an image of what appeared to be specific Twitter handles and names.

Facebook and Twitter transparency reports show the crackdown was already well underway last year, with a huge spike in requests by the Pakistani government seeking to censor online activity.

Facebook restricted more content in Pakistan than in any other country in the first six months of 2018, according to its transparency figures from that time period, which are the most recently available.

The social media giant said it restricted the availability of 2,203 pieces of content in total -- a seven-fold jump from the previous six months.

All but 87 of the items had been reported by the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority "as allegedly violating local laws prohibiting blasphemy, anti-judiciary content, and condemnation of the country's independence," it said.

The Pakistan Telecommunications Authority did not respond to requests for comment.

&nbsp;'Overstepping boundaries'&nbsp;

Twitter figures for the same time period showed a similar trend, with requests to remove content from 3,004 accounts in Pakistan compared to 674 in the second half of 2017.

A Twitter spokesman said the vast majority of the requests had come from the government and stressed that the company had acquiesced to none of them.

"The authorities are no longer hiding their agenda (or policy) to silence internet-mediated dissent," said Rabia Mehmood, a researcher for Amnesty International.

"While the current censorship is exceptionally intense, over the years, one message has been consistent that criticism of policies of the Pakistan military will not be tolerated."

Even those posting on social media from overseas have found themselves targeted.

Twitter routinely sends out a notice to users notifying them when the company receives complaints that their posts have violated a country's laws.

AFP has found dozens of users who received such a message warning they had violated Pakistani laws -- including 11 who had tweeted from beyond Pakistan's borders, in countries such as Australia, the US and Canada.

The requests represent "a government censor overstepping jurisdiction boundaries", said Jillian York, an expert at the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), an American NGO.

Threats, arrests, blocked accounts and restricted posts -- Big Brother is watching more closely than ever in Pakistan as authorities accelerate efforts to censor social networks, further reducing an already shrunken space for dissent.

Threats, arrests, blocked accounts and restricted posts -- Big Brother is watching more closely than ever in Pakistan as authorities accelerate efforts to censor social networks, further reducing an already shrunken space for dissent. In the past 18 months, a slew of journalists, activists, and government opponents –- both at home and overseas -- have faced intimidation or the threat of legal action for their online posts. Censorship is already rife among Pakistan's mainstream media, with the Committee to Protect Journalists noting last year that the military had "quietly but effectively" imposed strict limits on the scope of general news reporting. Platforms such as Facebook and Twitter were regarded as the last holdouts of dissenting voices, but now that has changed. In February, authorities announced the creation of a new enforcement arm to root out social media users accused of spreading "hate speech and violence" as part of the crackdown. Gul Bukhari, a columnist and sometime government critic who was briefly abducted by unidentified men last year, said the assault on social media was carefully organised and coordinated. "It is the last frontier they try to conquer," Bukhari explained. Silence dissent Journalist Rizwan-ur-Rehman Razi was among the people targeted. He was arrested in February at home in the eastern city of Lahore for publishing "defamatory and obnoxious" content against the state. A few days earlier, he had criticised extra-judicial executions allegedly committed by the security forces, according to a copy of his tweets seen by AFP. Released after two nights, he has not tweeted since, and his posts have been deleted. The net cast by the crackdown is a wide one, with Shahzad Ahmad, director of the digital security NGO Bytes for All, pointing to the harassment of civil rights activists, the political opposition, and bloggers. According to Annie Zaman, an expert on cyber-censorship in Pakistan, this is made possible by an all-encompassing 2016 law that prohibits online posts that are deemed to compromise state security or offend anything from "the glory of Islam" to non-defined notions of "decency and morality". "Because this law is vague, it gave more space to the authorities to censor online," Zaman said. Offenders can face up to 14 years in prison. The military signalled its involvement in the campaign as early as June last year, when spokesman Major General Asif Ghafoor boasted of the capacity to monitor social media accounts during a televised press conference. In a clear warning, Ghafoor briefly showed an image of what appeared to be specific Twitter handles and names. Facebook and Twitter transparency reports show the crackdown was already well underway last year, with a huge spike in requests by the Pakistani government seeking to censor online activity. Facebook restricted more content in Pakistan than in any other country in the first six months of 2018, according to its transparency figures from that time period, which are the most recently available. The social media giant said it restricted the availability of 2,203 pieces of content in total -- a seven-fold jump from the previous six months. All but 87 of the items had been reported by the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority "as allegedly violating local laws prohibiting blasphemy, anti-judiciary content, and condemnation of the country's independence," it said. The Pakistan Telecommunications Authority did not respond to requests for comment. 'Overstepping boundaries' Twitter figures for the same time period showed a similar trend, with requests to remove content from 3,004 accounts in Pakistan compared to 674 in the second half of 2017. A Twitter spokesman said the vast majority of the requests had come from the government and stressed that the company had acquiesced to none of them. "The authorities are no longer hiding their agenda (or policy) to silence internet-mediated dissent," said Rabia Mehmood, a researcher for Amnesty International. "While the current censorship is exceptionally intense, over the years, one message has been consistent that criticism of policies of the Pakistan military will not be tolerated." Even those posting on social media from overseas have found themselves targeted. Twitter routinely sends out a notice to users notifying them when the company receives complaints that their posts have violated a country's laws. AFP has found dozens of users who received such a message warning they had violated Pakistani laws -- including 11 who had tweeted from beyond Pakistan's borders, in countries such as Australia, the US and Canada. The requests represent "a government censor overstepping jurisdiction boundaries", said Jillian York, an expert at the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), an American NGO.

Social networks under intense surveillance in Pakistan

Every individual case will continue to require prior approval of Home Ministry or state government and the Ministry of Home Affairs(MHA) has not delegated its powers to any law enforcement or security, the government on Friday clarified on its latest directive that empowers <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/government-empowers-security-intelligence-agencies-for-mass-surveillance-185626">security, intelligence agencies for mass surveillance</a>.&nbsp;

The notification does not confer any new powers and adequate safeguards are provided in the IT Act 2000, the clarification further stated. It stated that similar provisions and procedures already exist in the Telegraph Act along with identical safeguards.

The response from the Government of India came in after it authorized select security and intelligence agencies for purposes of interception, monitoring and decryption of any information generated, transmitted, received or stored in any computer resource.

The agencies empowered by the government in accordance with the Information Technology Act, 2000, include the Intelligence Bureau (IB), Narcotics Control Bureau, Enforcement Directorate (ED), Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT), Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), National Investigation Agency (NIA), Cabinet Secretariat (R&amp;AW) and Delhi's Commissioner of Police.

The order drew criticism from the opposition parties, which termed it as unconstitutional, undemocratic and an assault on fundamental rights. 
However, the government clarified that the notification is analogous to the authorisation issued under the Telegraph Act. The entire process is also subject to a robust review mechanism as in case of Telegraph Act

This has been done in national security interest. It has been done under the law made by the Manmohan Singh government in 2009. Each case of interception and the decision is to be approved by the Union Home Secretary," Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad told ANI.

The direction from the MHA came as a follow up to a 2009 notification, wherein the then UPA government had stated that no person shall carry out the interception, monitoring, or decryption of any information generated, transmitted, received or stored in any computer resource under sub-section (2) of section 69 of the Information Technology Act, 2000, except by an order issued by the competent authority.

The clarification over the December 20 notification is a codification of the standard operating procedures issued by MHA on May 19, 2011, when P Chidambaram was the Home Minister.

Every individual case will continue to require prior approval of Home Ministry or state government and the Ministry of Home Affairs(MHA) has not delegated its powers to any law enforcement or security, the government on Friday clarified on its latest directive that empowers security, intelligence agencies for mass surveillance.

Every individual case will continue to require prior approval of Home Ministry or state government and the Ministry of Home Affairs(MHA) has not delegated its powers to any law enforcement or security, the government on Friday clarified on its latest directive that empowers security, intelligence agencies for mass surveillance. The notification does not confer any new powers and adequate safeguards are provided in the IT Act 2000, the clarification further stated. It stated that similar provisions and procedures already exist in the Telegraph Act along with identical safeguards. The response from the Government of India came in after it authorized select security and intelligence agencies for purposes of interception, monitoring and decryption of any information generated, transmitted, received or stored in any computer resource. The agencies empowered by the government in accordance with the Information Technology Act, 2000, include the Intelligence Bureau (IB), Narcotics Control Bureau, Enforcement Directorate (ED), Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT), Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), National Investigation Agency (NIA), Cabinet Secretariat (R&AW) and Delhi's Commissioner of Police. The order drew criticism from the opposition parties, which termed it as unconstitutional, undemocratic and an assault on fundamental rights. However, the government clarified that the notification is analogous to the authorisation issued under the Telegraph Act. The entire process is also subject to a robust review mechanism as in case of Telegraph Act This has been done in national security interest. It has been done under the law made by the Manmohan Singh government in 2009. Each case of interception and the decision is to be approved by the Union Home Secretary," Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad told ANI. The direction from the MHA came as a follow up to a 2009 notification, wherein the then UPA government had stated that no person shall carry out the interception, monitoring, or decryption of any information generated, transmitted, received or stored in any computer resource under sub-section (2) of section 69 of the Information Technology Act, 2000, except by an order issued by the competent authority. The clarification over the December 20 notification is a codification of the standard operating procedures issued by MHA on May 19, 2011, when P Chidambaram was the Home Minister.

New surveillance akin to Telegraph Act, says government

Airbnb announced on Thursday that it will start sharing information of the customers booking accommodation in China with the Chinese government.

Data that will share with the authorities beginning from March 30 includes passport details and booking dates.&nbsp

The online-home sharing giant said in its clarification the move is to comply with local laws and regulations of China.

"Like all businesses operating in China," the airline spokesperson reportedly said.

The hosts that will be listing accommodation on site will also have to share details after they start to accept bookings.

Hosts who don't want to share this information have to option to de-list themselves from the site using new 'deactivate my China listing' button.

The other hotels of China already share their guests' booking information with Chinese government and police making it a tool of surveillance for the government.

Airbnb is one of few companies based out of China to get hold of China's market, with reportedly 140,000 listings. 
&nbsp 
Travellers staying in private homes also required registering their accommodation details with the police within 24 hours of arriving. 
&nbsp

Data that will share with the authorities beginning from March 30 includes passport details and booking dates

Airbnb announced on Thursday that it will start sharing information of the customers booking accommodation in China with the Chinese government. Data that will share with the authorities beginning from March 30 includes passport details and booking dates. The online-home sharing giant said in its clarification the move is to comply with local laws and regulations of China. "Like all businesses operating in China," the airline spokesperson reportedly said. The hosts that will be listing accommodation on site will also have to share details after they start to accept bookings. Hosts who don't want to share this information have to option to de-list themselves from the site using new 'deactivate my China listing' button. The other hotels of China already share their guests' booking information with Chinese government and police making it a tool of surveillance for the government. Airbnb is one of few companies based out of China to get hold of China's market, with reportedly 140,000 listings. Travellers staying in private homes also required registering their accommodation details with the police within 24 hours of arriving.

Airbnb to shares details of consumers with Chinese authorities

It first happened in 2009, again&nbsp;in 2012 and then it repeated itself in 2016. Three times in a span of seven years, Shah Rukh Khan, the Indian films actor was detained at the US airport and no form of wealth, success or fame could help him evade this situation.

Have you ever wondered what went wrong with a man who has achieved globally acknowledged stardom? Do you buy into the logic of it just being plain and regular protocol? &nbsp;

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I fully understand &amp; respect security with the way the world is, but to be detained at US immigration every damn time really really sucks.
&mdash; Shah Rukh Khan (@iamsrk) <a href="https://twitter.com/iamsrk/status/763894690093473793">August 12, 2016</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;Well, what happened to Shah Rukh Khan was not just an unfortunate incident but also a part of a larger mesh of issues concerning privacy, security and safety, both online and offline. It is the outcome of surveillance in the digital age where data points &nbsp;are fed to&nbsp;the system, while grossly ignoring everything about the personality and character of an individual. &nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
In Khan&rsquo;s case, every other factor of him being a superstar, who travels in a business class, is loved by people all around the world was superseded by the data points that matched to someone who has a criminal history or can trigger false alarms. The data points that were picked up were: male, Muslim name, Indian, and from a certain age.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

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<h5>Imagine Brad Pitt coming to India and being taken aside as a potential terrorist. This is how dangerous our world is today.</h5>
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Now imagine Brad Pitt coming to India and being taken aside as a potential terrorist. This is how dangerous our world is today. The image that these systems have of us is warped and is just based on these data points that are monitored by intelligence agencies. According to this, all of us can fall into one category or another and be framed for something we have not committed.

The Constant Gaze 
&nbsp; 
Anja Kovacs who directs The Internet Democracy Project in India focuses on the Internet and human rights issues. The movement discusses the interplay of issues that most of us choose to ignore, of a state of constant surveillance, <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/data-privacy-in-modern-day-context-11906">data privacy issues&nbsp;</a>and government control of access and usage of the Internet.

She says, &quot;India is not an exceptional situation but because it&rsquo;s a diverse country--contradictions and inequalities are visible here. Challenges are more in your face here. Context is more visible.&quot;&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
In this context, she talks about how surveillance functions. She says, &ldquo;The way it actually works is that somebody is watching you but what it essentially aims to do, is to police norms. Those who set these norms are often the ones who are watching and they decide how those who are being watched should behave. The thing about norms is that people say that if you have nothing to hide, you have nothing to fear but all of this would be on the wrong side of the norm at some point. In the case of Shahrukh Khan, the information about him was denuded in such a way that the data points that did show up flagged him as a potential threat, even if he had not done anything.&rdquo;

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<h5>It&#39;s not just about someone watching you but policing norms. Those who set these norms are the ones watching and they decide how those who are being watched should behave.</h5>
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&nbsp;

Discussing the nitty-gritty and compulsions of living in the digital age, we came to the conclusion that surveillance is more rampant now as more cameras are being put in place everywhere and more number of companies are tracking us online--and that makes us all very uncomfortable.&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
What&rsquo;s dangerous for a democracy to sustain, is that the government has access to all our data and whether they have a good reason or not, they continue to watch us.

Game of Algorithms 
&nbsp; 
Anja adds, &ldquo;They won&rsquo;t go and check what I am talking about but if I talk about terrorism too often, and I am connected to other people who are talking about terrorism then at some point they might start looking into my profile. For example, there has been a case in New York where a family found the US government joint terrorism task force at its doorstep because they had been googling the phrases &#39;pressure cooker bomb&#39; and &#39;backpack&#39;. The law enforcement agencies picked up on a white middle-class American family of parents and one small kid for googling those phrases. For the agencies, this flashed as an indication that they were likely to be making a bomb. Imagine the US police force wearing black suits entering a private property only to find nothing. 
&nbsp; 
&ldquo;This happens in a corporate scenario as well but the consequences aren&rsquo;t the same. Facebook cannot throw you in jail but they along with other corporations are trying to shape your behaviour in insidious ways, to try and get us to do certain things. That&#39;s why at one point last year; Facebook had announced that they are tweaking their algorithms, as people are not sharing enough personal updates. We don&#39;t know whether they were successful in getting people to share but we do know that Facebook wanted people to share more, as they wanted to do something.

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<h5>Facebook cannot throw you in jail but they along with other corporations are trying to shape your behaviour in insidious ways</h5>
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&nbsp;&ldquo;It&#39;s dangerous to see what they can do with the algorithms, like how they use it to drive political campaigns during elections and move towards targeted campaigns. In America for example, in this year&rsquo;s elections, if we were seen as potential Trump supporters and possible voters, the messages we would get would be different because our profiles are different, unlike the earlier times when potential voters of a single party would receive same messaging.&rdquo;

<h3>Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/edge/humour-to-the-rescue-memes-flood-internet-post-us-election-8595">Humour to the rescue: Memes flood Internet post-US election</a> 
&nbsp;</h3>

But not all is negative in this forever connected world. Surveillance vests power in the watcher and using this, the dynamics can change with different actors at play. She narrates how some slum colonies in Delhi where riots happened used surveillance as a tool for their benefit. The community itself bought CCTV cameras because they got fed up with the police arresting boys from the neighbourhood and blaming them for riots while according to the locals, the actual violence was committed by people outside of the community. She says, &ldquo;They wanted to be in a situation where they can provide proof in future instances, so they reversed the gaze.&rdquo;&nbsp;

While surveillance continues at every level, be it in the workplace or public spaces; the kind that government indulges in online, is always riskier. The government of any country has the right to keep a check but it &ldquo;ideally should happen only after the State has a suspicion on a person of a crime or any such affiliation&rdquo;. In earlier times, the system didn&rsquo;t necessarily work but &ldquo;at least in theory there were some checks and balances that didn&rsquo;t give enormous power to those doing the watching&rdquo;. 
&nbsp; 
Anja adds, &ldquo;It means that as a society we have less and less control over setting the norms because somebody has set the norm and if we behave out of it, we will be penalised. We are not only just expecting it to happen but are more conscious and aware of our surroundings--how to behave in public spaces, what to say on social media, what data to pull out and etc.&rdquo;

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<h5>As a society we have less and less control over setting the norms because somebody has set the norm and if we behave out of it, we will be penalised.</h5>
</blockquote>
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How Open is the Internet? 
&nbsp; 
A part of a movement that aims to make the<a href="http://www.wionews.com/science-tech/curb-on-online-speech-threat-to-open-internet-says-international-report-892">&nbsp;Internet free and a democratic space for all</a>, Anja explains that there is also something called nudging in public policy. Facebook also does nudging through tweaks to the algorithms so that they can incentivise you to do particular things.&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
Similarly, the Planning Commission of India, Niti Aayog also has a nudging unit now. She says, &ldquo;What they want to do is to use data of popular government schemes and tweak them slightly so that more&nbsp;people can benefit from the policies. So nudging can be used for positive means as well but you can easily use it for negative purposes. 
&nbsp; 
&quot;There is no idea of what is being done with our data and who keeps a check. So it&rsquo;s not just the traditional form of surveillance where they are watching people to catch them when they do something wrong but it&rsquo;s really also about the insidious ways in which they are shaping the society, shaping people to do stuff without them knowing. As citizens, that&rsquo;s a problem.&rdquo; 
&nbsp; 
While surveillance is an issue that needs urgent attention and scope for active and open discussions, there is also a big question around how open the Internet really is? 
&nbsp; 
Anja simply answers that it depends on ways on how you use the Internet. She says, &ldquo;There are still some ways of using the Internet that is much more decentralised where you have more control on your data but it&rsquo;s a little bit more complex. There&rsquo;s a reason why so many of us ended up on platforms like Facebook and Twitter as they made sharing of content so easy. But it&rsquo;s true that there has been a shift to more and more centralisation on the Internet even though the technology remains decentralised.&rdquo; 
&nbsp;&nbsp; 
She emphasises on focusing on how these big companies are trying to escape regulations everywhere and how they are able to become so big without anybody questioning them. She adds, &ldquo;Even Microsoft was put into antitrust regulations in the late 90&rsquo;s because they had bundled Explorer in every system. Explorer is still installed in every Windows system but we now have the choice of using or not using it. Managing a very strong presence in browsers they had left users with no option. People complained that Microsoft was forcing them to use their own ecosystems in too many ways. The reason&nbsp;as to why many use Firefox or Chrome&nbsp;instead of Explorer is as a result of that.&rdquo;

Cyber Security&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
When online we are usually privy to the eyes of many, even after checks and balances have been put in place. This concern gives fodder to cyber security, a term that is often used when talking about online safety for the weak and vulnerable.

<h3>Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/edge/are-we-going-to-lose-our-jobs-to-robots-11850">Are we going to lose our jobs to robots?</a></h3>

&nbsp;

Anja, however, is not pleased with the existing discourse on cyber security. She says, &ldquo;The way it is present now--don&rsquo;t do this, don&rsquo;t do that is not helpful and it starts to become more like what we see in the offline space. Don&rsquo;t wear this when you are out, don&rsquo;t be out in the night etc., whereas if we want to make the Internet a safe place this is not the right approach. It&rsquo;s good to be conscious of what you are sharing, who you are sharing it with. You have to be smart. But there is no one-size-fits-all approach and currently, that is what it sounds like. We have to learn basics of risk assessment, to think about what are the threats in my life, actors that I should be worried about.

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National Cyber Security Policy 2013 (Source: Internet Democracy Project) (WION)
</div>
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&nbsp;&ldquo;We have seen in many accounts that parents are complaining about how their children have no sense of privacy and they also complain about children not sharing enough with them. So, clearly the children have a sense of privacy but who they see as threat actors while who their parents think are threat actors are completely different. As children, they see their parents as threat actors and stop sharing information with them. Parents think random strangers are threat actors.&rdquo; 
&nbsp; 
This also emboldens the fact that people must understand the consequences of what they do online and take informed decisions. Lurking dangers of the new-age technology are glaring and it is upon us to make informed choices, to completely avoid or at least diminish the loss value attached to any attack via the Internet. 
&nbsp; 
Starting in 2011, The Internet Democracy Project has been focusing on the Internet and human rights issues. Their focus is on bringing together the domain of technology with ideas of democracy and social justice. However, in a world where authoritarian tendencies trump democratic values and promises of social justice are yet to be realised, it is a still a long road before misuses&nbsp;of technology can be stopped by brining in more accountability in the surveillance system. 
&nbsp; 
&nbsp;(WION)

We need to find out who decides who is watching whom in online surveillance and what they are doing with all the data collected?

It first happened in 2009, again in 2012 and then it repeated itself in 2016. Three times in a span of seven years, Shah Rukh Khan, the Indian films actor was detained at the US airport and no form of wealth, success or fame could help him evade this situation. Have you ever wondered what went wrong with a man who has achieved globally acknowledged stardom? Do you buy into the logic of it just being plain and regular protocol? I fully understand & respect security with the way the world is, but to be detained at US immigration every damn time really really sucks. — Shah Rukh Khan (@iamsrk) August 12, 2016 × Well, what happened to Shah Rukh Khan was not just an unfortunate incident but also a part of a larger mesh of issues concerning privacy, security and safety, both online and offline. It is the outcome of surveillance in the digital age where data points are fed to the system, while grossly ignoring everything about the personality and character of an individual. In Khan’s case, every other factor of him being a superstar, who travels in a business class, is loved by people all around the world was superseded by the data points that matched to someone who has a criminal history or can trigger false alarms. The data points that were picked up were: male, Muslim name, Indian, and from a certain age. Imagine Brad Pitt coming to India and being taken aside as a potential terrorist. This is how dangerous our world is today. × Now imagine Brad Pitt coming to India and being taken aside as a potential terrorist. This is how dangerous our world is today. The image that these systems have of us is warped and is just based on these data points that are monitored by intelligence agencies. According to this, all of us can fall into one category or another and be framed for something we have not committed. The Constant Gaze Anja Kovacs who directs The Internet Democracy Project in India focuses on the Internet and human rights issues. The movement discusses the interplay of issues that most of us choose to ignore, of a state of constant surveillance, data privacy issues and government control of access and usage of the Internet. She says, "India is not an exceptional situation but because it’s a diverse country--contradictions and inequalities are visible here. Challenges are more in your face here. Context is more visible." In this context, she talks about how surveillance functions. She says, “The way it actually works is that somebody is watching you but what it essentially aims to do, is to police norms. Those who set these norms are often the ones who are watching and they decide how those who are being watched should behave. The thing about norms is that people say that if you have nothing to hide, you have nothing to fear but all of this would be on the wrong side of the norm at some point. In the case of Shahrukh Khan, the information about him was denuded in such a way that the data points that did show up flagged him as a potential threat, even if he had not done anything.” It's not just about someone watching you but policing norms. Those who set these norms are the ones watching and they decide how those who are being watched should behave. × Discussing the nitty-gritty and compulsions of living in the digital age, we came to the conclusion that surveillance is more rampant now as more cameras are being put in place everywhere and more number of companies are tracking us online--and that makes us all very uncomfortable. What’s dangerous for a democracy to sustain, is that the government has access to all our data and whether they have a good reason or not, they continue to watch us. Game of Algorithms Anja adds, “They won’t go and check what I am talking about but if I talk about terrorism too often, and I am connected to other people who are talking about terrorism then at some point they might start looking into my profile. For example, there has been a case in New York where a family found the US government joint terrorism task force at its doorstep because they had been googling the phrases 'pressure cooker bomb' and 'backpack'. The law enforcement agencies picked up on a white middle-class American family of parents and one small kid for googling those phrases. For the agencies, this flashed as an indication that they were likely to be making a bomb. Imagine the US police force wearing black suits entering a private property only to find nothing. “This happens in a corporate scenario as well but the consequences aren’t the same. Facebook cannot throw you in jail but they along with other corporations are trying to shape your behaviour in insidious ways, to try and get us to do certain things. That's why at one point last year; Facebook had announced that they are tweaking their algorithms, as people are not sharing enough personal updates. We don't know whether they were successful in getting people to share but we do know that Facebook wanted people to share more, as they wanted to do something. Facebook cannot throw you in jail but they along with other corporations are trying to shape your behaviour in insidious ways × “It's dangerous to see what they can do with the algorithms, like how they use it to drive political campaigns during elections and move towards targeted campaigns. In America for example, in this year’s elections, if we were seen as potential Trump supporters and possible voters, the messages we would get would be different because our profiles are different, unlike the earlier times when potential voters of a single party would receive same messaging.” Also Read: Humour to the rescue: Memes flood Internet post-US election But not all is negative in this forever connected world. Surveillance vests power in the watcher and using this, the dynamics can change with different actors at play. She narrates how some slum colonies in Delhi where riots happened used surveillance as a tool for their benefit. The community itself bought CCTV cameras because they got fed up with the police arresting boys from the neighbourhood and blaming them for riots while according to the locals, the actual violence was committed by people outside of the community. She says, “They wanted to be in a situation where they can provide proof in future instances, so they reversed the gaze.” While surveillance continues at every level, be it in the workplace or public spaces; the kind that government indulges in online, is always riskier. The government of any country has the right to keep a check but it “ideally should happen only after the State has a suspicion on a person of a crime or any such affiliation”. In earlier times, the system didn’t necessarily work but “at least in theory there were some checks and balances that didn’t give enormous power to those doing the watching”. Anja adds, “It means that as a society we have less and less control over setting the norms because somebody has set the norm and if we behave out of it, we will be penalised. We are not only just expecting it to happen but are more conscious and aware of our surroundings--how to behave in public spaces, what to say on social media, what data to pull out and etc.” As a society we have less and less control over setting the norms because somebody has set the norm and if we behave out of it, we will be penalised. × How Open is the Internet? A part of a movement that aims to make the Internet free and a democratic space for all, Anja explains that there is also something called nudging in public policy. Facebook also does nudging through tweaks to the algorithms so that they can incentivise you to do particular things. Similarly, the Planning Commission of India, Niti Aayog also has a nudging unit now. She says, “What they want to do is to use data of popular government schemes and tweak them slightly so that more people can benefit from the policies. So nudging can be used for positive means as well but you can easily use it for negative purposes. "There is no idea of what is being done with our data and who keeps a check. So it’s not just the traditional form of surveillance where they are watching people to catch them when they do something wrong but it’s really also about the insidious ways in which they are shaping the society, shaping people to do stuff without them knowing. As citizens, that’s a problem.” While surveillance is an issue that needs urgent attention and scope for active and open discussions, there is also a big question around how open the Internet really is? Anja simply answers that it depends on ways on how you use the Internet. She says, “There are still some ways of using the Internet that is much more decentralised where you have more control on your data but it’s a little bit more complex. There’s a reason why so many of us ended up on platforms like Facebook and Twitter as they made sharing of content so easy. But it’s true that there has been a shift to more and more centralisation on the Internet even though the technology remains decentralised.” She emphasises on focusing on how these big companies are trying to escape regulations everywhere and how they are able to become so big without anybody questioning them. She adds, “Even Microsoft was put into antitrust regulations in the late 90’s because they had bundled Explorer in every system. Explorer is still installed in every Windows system but we now have the choice of using or not using it. Managing a very strong presence in browsers they had left users with no option. People complained that Microsoft was forcing them to use their own ecosystems in too many ways. The reason as to why many use Firefox or Chrome instead of Explorer is as a result of that.” Cyber Security When online we are usually privy to the eyes of many, even after checks and balances have been put in place. This concern gives fodder to cyber security, a term that is often used when talking about online safety for the weak and vulnerable. Also Read: Are we going to lose our jobs to robots? Anja, however, is not pleased with the existing discourse on cyber security. She says, “The way it is present now--don’t do this, don’t do that is not helpful and it starts to become more like what we see in the offline space. Don’t wear this when you are out, don’t be out in the night etc., whereas if we want to make the Internet a safe place this is not the right approach. It’s good to be conscious of what you are sharing, who you are sharing it with. You have to be smart. But there is no one-size-fits-all approach and currently, that is what it sounds like. We have to learn basics of risk assessment, to think about what are the threats in my life, actors that I should be worried about. National Cyber Security Policy 2013 (Source: Internet Democracy Project) (WION) × “We have seen in many accounts that parents are complaining about how their children have no sense of privacy and they also complain about children not sharing enough with them. So, clearly the children have a sense of privacy but who they see as threat actors while who their parents think are threat actors are completely different. As children, they see their parents as threat actors and stop sharing information with them. Parents think random strangers are threat actors.” This also emboldens the fact that people must understand the consequences of what they do online and take informed decisions. Lurking dangers of the new-age technology are glaring and it is upon us to make informed choices, to completely avoid or at least diminish the loss value attached to any attack via the Internet. Starting in 2011, The Internet Democracy Project has been focusing on the Internet and human rights issues. Their focus is on bringing together the domain of technology with ideas of democracy and social justice. However, in a world where authoritarian tendencies trump democratic values and promises of social justice are yet to be realised, it is a still a long road before misuses of technology can be stopped by brining in more accountability in the surveillance system. (WION)

Do you feel the gaze? We all are being watched

If you ever thought that the internet was free of any prejudice and that in its basic sense, it gives people equal rights to act and react, then you are wrong. The internet is anything but gender-neutral and&nbsp;there is a growing need for a feminist internet: one which has an equal space for women&nbsp;to sexual expression, consent and control of data.

Champion of the feminist internet,&nbsp;Anja Kovacs directs The Internet Democracy Project, an initiative at Point of View&nbsp;which works towards providing opportunities to people whereby they use the Internet informed and judiciously.

She points out, &ldquo;Women have been surveilled by communities and families for centuries. We know the impact that it has. Most people who are open to the kind of things we do can see the restrictions that are there to women that are not on men. This harms women&rsquo;s lives, shapes their lives in particular ways because they constantly have to be careful of what they are doing, where they are going--they constantly have to justify.&rdquo;

Trends reflect that India is like any other country where patriarchy is strongly steeped within the structure of the society. This often gets translated to the nature of communication communities have within themselves and enforces on individuals, majorly women.&nbsp;

There is evidence according to Anja that &ldquo;the more conservative the family is, the more restricted you are on the Internet&rdquo;.

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Does it affect all women?&nbsp;

She adds,&nbsp;&quot;I think this is actually true for all women, for you and me as well as for the poorest of the poor. I think it plays out differently though depending on your background, location. &nbsp;Also, financial independence as we have seen that money allows you certain things that you will otherwise be restricted from. For example, your family might not be comfortable with you going out in the night but if they know you can take a taxi, you can get a ride from a friend they know, and you have a mobile phone with which they can be in touch with you constantly--then maybe it&rsquo;s ok. But you have to be able to afford all of that.&quot; 
&nbsp; 
&ldquo;The fact that women are surveilled more than men is consistent. This divide might be sharper in India but I don&rsquo;t think it&rsquo;s unique to India. A lot of surveillance in India in more conservative communities has really to do with the fears around women&rsquo;s sexuality and the importance of women&rsquo;s virginity for the reputation of a family. It&rsquo;s not just about keeping an individual woman safe but it&rsquo;s also about maintaining the reputation of the entire family and community. The weight of all that falls on women&#39;s shoulders.&rdquo;

On May 3, 2017, a village in UP banned the usage of mobile phones by women, as an order by Khap Panchayat but there&rsquo;s nothing new in the news. The same diktat was announced in several villages of UP, Haryana and Rajasthan in 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, and even before. According to news reports, every time this ban was pronounced, it was because the Panchayat wanted to restrict women&rsquo;s communication with men and not vice-versa.&nbsp;

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<h5>In Muzaffarnagar, the banning of mobile phones was supported as though they are bad for girls, create spaces of privacy and independence that will lead to trouble. It should only be allowed ideally after marriage, definitely not before college.</h5>
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According to Anja: &ldquo;In Muzaffarnagar, the idea (banning of mobile phones) was supported as though they are bad for girls, create spaces of privacy and independence that will only lead to trouble. It should only be allowed ideally after marriage, definitely not before college. However, the same rules do not apply to boys.&rdquo; 
&nbsp; 
Sadly, this is not just restricted to the elders in Khap Panchayat as the same sentiment is shared by the rural womenfolk too.&ldquo;We met with a woman in Muzaffarnagar who happens to also work for women empowerment. She introduced us to the phrase &lsquo;chupke, chupke&rsquo; (hidden in English). She said that whenever you have to do something &lsquo;chupke chupke&rsquo; then it&rsquo;s always bad. Girls get phones from their boyfriends, stay in bathrooms or separate rooms for long and talk behind closed doors&rdquo;, narrates Anja.

Social norms influence women&rsquo;s lives 
&nbsp; 
Social norms affect women&rsquo;s role in the society, status, empowerment, and access to education and income in society, and consequently their relationship with mobile technology. It is often hidden within other, more commonly cited barriers that influence women&rsquo;s access to and use of mobile technology.&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
&ldquo;Village women only know that the green button is for picking up phone calls and the red one for disconnecting the phone&rdquo;, says a rural male from India. This, because women are only taught to do this on mobile phones, and that too in the company of others.&nbsp;

Why are women not allowed to use the Internet with privacy? 
&nbsp; 
&ldquo;It breaks my heart to tell you that a school teacher in a village told us that the Constitution cannot run at the cost of village way of life. He responded like this when we told him how ironical it was between what was being taught to young girls and what they were practising in real life. These girls who otherwise speak in Hindi, learn words like equality and rights in classrooms but are aware of the contradictions in their life. One girl even questioned us as to &lsquo;why is it that my brother can use the phone whenever he wants?&rdquo;, Anja responds.&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
In this sense, desktops are appreciated by all as &ldquo;they are family owned, kept in a room where everybody can see what you are doing or is in a school where there is a supervisor to keep a tab on you&rdquo;.&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
Talking about rural families in small towns and conservative communities in India, they are usually dependent on agriculture which is reeling under agrarian distress at the moment. To build a future, these families understand the value of Internet and technology. While striving for upward mobility, most families are not enforcing a complete ban but monitored usage of the Internet among girls. Anja adds, &ldquo;For them, access to the Internet in private spaces doesn&rsquo;t work as those are essential to blocking relationships that families are uncomfortable with. Facebook thus became a taboo--as they assume that it is not for education but for marriage and to find love.&rdquo;

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Gender gap in mobile phone ownership in the world (Source: GSMA report) (Others)
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An existing notion of the Internet being an evil in conservative communities of India and other low-and-middle-income countries reflect poorly on women&rsquo;s right to expression and freedom. There are 3.6 billion mobile internet users around the world, in which women on average are 14 per cent&nbsp;less likely to own a mobile phone than a man, which translates into 200 million fewer women than men owning mobile phones. Women in South Asia are 38 per cent&nbsp;less likely to own a phone than a man, highlighting that the gender gap in mobile phone ownership is wider in certain parts of the world. (According to GSMA Input into Report on the Digital Gender Divide, February 2017). &nbsp;&nbsp;

Background profile of the woman and her family is very important to judge the level of discrimination and subjective treatment. All those times Delhi Metro leaked footages of couples cosying up in the train or platforms raised an alarm in public, we are forced to think how worse it would affect the people involved. Anja says, &ldquo;For a woman, there is an impact in a way there isn&rsquo;t for a man. It&rsquo;s true even for the most privileged woman because even though I might not adhere to a certain mindset but my neighbours will look at me in a particular way, people around me will look at me in a particular way; it&rsquo;s still a pressure you feel.&rdquo;

As part of a research to find&nbsp;&ldquo;who tames whom on the Internet&rdquo; and &ldquo;why are women policed in India on their Internet usage and access rights&rdquo;, these are some of the most popular answers recorded on a popular social media site:&nbsp;

A 28-year-old newly married girl from Aligarh wrote:&nbsp;&ldquo;He questions my character if I talk on Whatsapp after 7 pm, he thinks I do sexting.&rdquo;

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<h5>He questions my character if I talk on Whatsapp after 7 pm, he thinks I do sexting.</h5>
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A 20-year-old female student from Mumbai lamented:&nbsp;&ldquo;My face featured in one of the most popular searches on a porn website even though I have never had sex in my life. It was taken down after a formal complaint but I became a butt of jokes.&rdquo; 
&nbsp; 
A 36-year-old male businessman from Ghaziabad audaciously comment,&nbsp;&ldquo;Why do you (girls) need the Internet? Who do you want to expose your body to? What else do you do on Facebook and Instagram&rdquo;

Reinforcing supremacy of one gender over another strengthens in its claim by citing these social norms. Research conducted by GSMA indicates that over centuries, using the same reasons of morality and culture, women have been denied access to technology, especially the kind that enables them to voice their opinion and look beyond.&nbsp;

According to 2015 research on Connected Women titled Bridging the Gender Gap: Mobile Access and Usage in low- and middle-income countries by GSMA: Over 3 billion people in low- and middle-income countries do not own mobile phones, and most of them&mdash;1.7 billion&mdash;are estimated to be female. Nearly two-third&nbsp;of unconnected females live in the South Asia and East Asia &amp; Pacific regions which is not surprising given that these two regions are the largest in terms of population. 
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India has the highest number of women without access to the internet and social media (Source: GSMA report) (Others)
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Dilemmas of being online for women 
&nbsp; 
Women are far behind in numbers in the usage of social media in comparison to men. As cited in the report by GSMA, there are roughly 3 men for every woman on Facebook in India. In 2015, Facebook had 111 million users in India, of which 84 million are men and only 27 million are women.&nbsp;

Three notable exceptions, however, are Egypt, where women use Facebook and Twitter more than men; China, where women and men use WeChat equally; and Jordan, where women and men use Twitter equally.&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
Apart from social norms and surveillance issues, women also face dangers in the form of cyber security issues while using social media. The term essentially includes everything under online abuse like trolling, sextortion, revenge porn and others.&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
Working extensively on these issues, Anja discusses, &ldquo;Trolls target both men and women but how men are targeted is very different from how women are targeted. With men it&rsquo;s more like &lsquo;you don&rsquo;t know what you are talking about&rsquo; but for a woman &lsquo;it&rsquo;s always about her sexuality&rsquo;.&nbsp;

&quot;This is what happened with Priyanka Chopra recently when she wore a dress to meet PM Modi. They used words like &lsquo;slut, whore&rsquo; and anything that she has achieved was easily forgotten. In a way, the troll is an extension of surveillance, if surveillance is about policing norms then trolling is policing norms on the internet. They tried to police Priyanka. It was their way of asking her to behave the way they idealise it, like a traditional Indian woman. They were perturbed by the fact that Priyanka, being a woman, is living a happy life as a successful and independent woman.&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
&ldquo;Trolling is about reinforcing fear on the internet.&rdquo;

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<h5>Trolling is about reinforcing fear on the Internet. A friend of mine insists that our weapon and his are the same on the Internet. Use the keyboard and speak up!</h5>
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&nbsp;

Anja talks about a friend who has a knack of dealing with all trollers. She says, &ldquo;I know a woman who says that &lsquo;your weapon and his weapon are same on the Internet. &nbsp;I have a keyboard, he has a keyboard so then what the f#@! is holding you back? Speak up!&rsquo;&rdquo; 
&nbsp; 
Anja believes that trolling is never progressive in nature. &ldquo;They won&rsquo;t ever say &lsquo;man you are so conservative, you should stand up for your rights. Trolling is always reinforcing power. It&rsquo;s a structural thing, linked with surveillance&rdquo;, she adds. &nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
Police records indicate that women these days are most disturbed by the rise in crimes involving images, taken with the aim of morphing, revenge porn and sextortion. Anja says, &ldquo;Women&rsquo;s naked images have a power that naked images of men don&rsquo;t. You can&rsquo;t blackmail a man with naked images because the power is not the same. So who pays the price--disproportionately the woman. Few men who are convicted are usually those blackmailed by a guy in homosexual relationships.&quot; 
&nbsp; 
&ldquo;The aim should be to expand space for women and not reduce the already narrow space. We need a much more concerted response. We advocate for non-legal responses as you can&rsquo;t go to the police and complain because your timeline is full of words like slut, &nbsp;bitch...That&rsquo;s really troubling.&quot; 
&nbsp; 
&ldquo;Colleagues in Brazil came up with something called &lsquo;Safer nudes&rsquo;: Safer, not safe because you can never be sure. There are apps nowadays that allow you to delete messages from your phone as well as from the one you have sent. Also, there are apps that alert you when someone takes a screenshot of your photo. We need to have knowledge of these things. So if you are sending these images, then avoid Whatsapp because at least other apps will help you send in a safer way. Their dialogue is basically around empowering and giving the control back to women while creating their own space on the Internet.&rdquo;&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
A feminist by principle and action, Anja feels it important to start a dialogue for a feminist Internet: one which has a space for women gives them right to sexual expression, consent and control of data. The Internet is a big bad world for women and after all, &ldquo;people around you shape you, especially as a woman&rdquo;, she adds.&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
(WION)&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

Abused, trolled and barred from using the Internet, women are demanding a feminist Internet which gives them a free space

If you ever thought that the internet was free of any prejudice and that in its basic sense, it gives people equal rights to act and react, then you are wrong. The internet is anything but gender-neutral and there is a growing need for a feminist internet: one which has an equal space for women to sexual expression, consent and control of data. Champion of the feminist internet, Anja Kovacs directs The Internet Democracy Project, an initiative at Point of View which works towards providing opportunities to people whereby they use the Internet informed and judiciously. She points out, “Women have been surveilled by communities and families for centuries. We know the impact that it has. Most people who are open to the kind of things we do can see the restrictions that are there to women that are not on men. This harms women’s lives, shapes their lives in particular ways because they constantly have to be careful of what they are doing, where they are going--they constantly have to justify.” Trends reflect that India is like any other country where patriarchy is strongly steeped within the structure of the society. This often gets translated to the nature of communication communities have within themselves and enforces on individuals, majorly women. There is evidence according to Anja that “the more conservative the family is, the more restricted you are on the Internet”. The more conservative the family is, the more restricted you are on the Internet. × Does it affect all women? She adds, "I think this is actually true for all women, for you and me as well as for the poorest of the poor. I think it plays out differently though depending on your background, location. Also, financial independence as we have seen that money allows you certain things that you will otherwise be restricted from. For example, your family might not be comfortable with you going out in the night but if they know you can take a taxi, you can get a ride from a friend they know, and you have a mobile phone with which they can be in touch with you constantly--then maybe it’s ok. But you have to be able to afford all of that." “The fact that women are surveilled more than men is consistent. This divide might be sharper in India but I don’t think it’s unique to India. A lot of surveillance in India in more conservative communities has really to do with the fears around women’s sexuality and the importance of women’s virginity for the reputation of a family. It’s not just about keeping an individual woman safe but it’s also about maintaining the reputation of the entire family and community. The weight of all that falls on women's shoulders.” On May 3, 2017, a village in UP banned the usage of mobile phones by women, as an order by Khap Panchayat but there’s nothing new in the news. The same diktat was announced in several villages of UP, Haryana and Rajasthan in 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, and even before. According to news reports, every time this ban was pronounced, it was because the Panchayat wanted to restrict women’s communication with men and not vice-versa. In Muzaffarnagar, the banning of mobile phones was supported as though they are bad for girls, create spaces of privacy and independence that will lead to trouble. It should only be allowed ideally after marriage, definitely not before college. × According to Anja: “In Muzaffarnagar, the idea (banning of mobile phones) was supported as though they are bad for girls, create spaces of privacy and independence that will only lead to trouble. It should only be allowed ideally after marriage, definitely not before college. However, the same rules do not apply to boys.” Sadly, this is not just restricted to the elders in Khap Panchayat as the same sentiment is shared by the rural womenfolk too.“We met with a woman in Muzaffarnagar who happens to also work for women empowerment. She introduced us to the phrase ‘chupke, chupke’ (hidden in English). She said that whenever you have to do something ‘chupke chupke’ then it’s always bad. Girls get phones from their boyfriends, stay in bathrooms or separate rooms for long and talk behind closed doors”, narrates Anja. Social norms influence women’s lives Social norms affect women’s role in the society, status, empowerment, and access to education and income in society, and consequently their relationship with mobile technology. It is often hidden within other, more commonly cited barriers that influence women’s access to and use of mobile technology. “Village women only know that the green button is for picking up phone calls and the red one for disconnecting the phone”, says a rural male from India. This, because women are only taught to do this on mobile phones, and that too in the company of others. Why are women not allowed to use the Internet with privacy? “It breaks my heart to tell you that a school teacher in a village told us that the Constitution cannot run at the cost of village way of life. He responded like this when we told him how ironical it was between what was being taught to young girls and what they were practising in real life. These girls who otherwise speak in Hindi, learn words like equality and rights in classrooms but are aware of the contradictions in their life. One girl even questioned us as to ‘why is it that my brother can use the phone whenever he wants?”, Anja responds. In this sense, desktops are appreciated by all as “they are family owned, kept in a room where everybody can see what you are doing or is in a school where there is a supervisor to keep a tab on you”. Talking about rural families in small towns and conservative communities in India, they are usually dependent on agriculture which is reeling under agrarian distress at the moment. To build a future, these families understand the value of Internet and technology. While striving for upward mobility, most families are not enforcing a complete ban but monitored usage of the Internet among girls. Anja adds, “For them, access to the Internet in private spaces doesn’t work as those are essential to blocking relationships that families are uncomfortable with. Facebook thus became a taboo--as they assume that it is not for education but for marriage and to find love.” Gender gap in mobile phone ownership in the world (Source: GSMA report) (Others) × An existing notion of the Internet being an evil in conservative communities of India and other low-and-middle-income countries reflect poorly on women’s right to expression and freedom. There are 3.6 billion mobile internet users around the world, in which women on average are 14 per cent less likely to own a mobile phone than a man, which translates into 200 million fewer women than men owning mobile phones. Women in South Asia are 38 per cent less likely to own a phone than a man, highlighting that the gender gap in mobile phone ownership is wider in certain parts of the world. (According to GSMA Input into Report on the Digital Gender Divide, February 2017). Background profile of the woman and her family is very important to judge the level of discrimination and subjective treatment. All those times Delhi Metro leaked footages of couples cosying up in the train or platforms raised an alarm in public, we are forced to think how worse it would affect the people involved. Anja says, “For a woman, there is an impact in a way there isn’t for a man. It’s true even for the most privileged woman because even though I might not adhere to a certain mindset but my neighbours will look at me in a particular way, people around me will look at me in a particular way; it’s still a pressure you feel.” As part of a research to find “who tames whom on the Internet” and “why are women policed in India on their Internet usage and access rights”, these are some of the most popular answers recorded on a popular social media site: A 28-year-old newly married girl from Aligarh wrote: “He questions my character if I talk on Whatsapp after 7 pm, he thinks I do sexting.” He questions my character if I talk on Whatsapp after 7 pm, he thinks I do sexting. × A 20-year-old female student from Mumbai lamented: “My face featured in one of the most popular searches on a porn website even though I have never had sex in my life. It was taken down after a formal complaint but I became a butt of jokes.” A 36-year-old male businessman from Ghaziabad audaciously comment, “Why do you (girls) need the Internet? Who do you want to expose your body to? What else do you do on Facebook and Instagram” Reinforcing supremacy of one gender over another strengthens in its claim by citing these social norms. Research conducted by GSMA indicates that over centuries, using the same reasons of morality and culture, women have been denied access to technology, especially the kind that enables them to voice their opinion and look beyond. According to 2015 research on Connected Women titled Bridging the Gender Gap: Mobile Access and Usage in low- and middle-income countries by GSMA: Over 3 billion people in low- and middle-income countries do not own mobile phones, and most of them—1.7 billion—are estimated to be female. Nearly two-third of unconnected females live in the South Asia and East Asia & Pacific regions which is not surprising given that these two regions are the largest in terms of population. India has the highest number of women without access to the internet and social media (Source: GSMA report) (Others) × Dilemmas of being online for women Women are far behind in numbers in the usage of social media in comparison to men. As cited in the report by GSMA, there are roughly 3 men for every woman on Facebook in India. In 2015, Facebook had 111 million users in India, of which 84 million are men and only 27 million are women. Three notable exceptions, however, are Egypt, where women use Facebook and Twitter more than men; China, where women and men use WeChat equally; and Jordan, where women and men use Twitter equally. Apart from social norms and surveillance issues, women also face dangers in the form of cyber security issues while using social media. The term essentially includes everything under online abuse like trolling, sextortion, revenge porn and others. Working extensively on these issues, Anja discusses, “Trolls target both men and women but how men are targeted is very different from how women are targeted. With men it’s more like ‘you don’t know what you are talking about’ but for a woman ‘it’s always about her sexuality’. "This is what happened with Priyanka Chopra recently when she wore a dress to meet PM Modi. They used words like ‘slut, whore’ and anything that she has achieved was easily forgotten. In a way, the troll is an extension of surveillance, if surveillance is about policing norms then trolling is policing norms on the internet. They tried to police Priyanka. It was their way of asking her to behave the way they idealise it, like a traditional Indian woman. They were perturbed by the fact that Priyanka, being a woman, is living a happy life as a successful and independent woman. “Trolling is about reinforcing fear on the internet.” Trolling is about reinforcing fear on the Internet. A friend of mine insists that our weapon and his are the same on the Internet. Use the keyboard and speak up! × Anja talks about a friend who has a knack of dealing with all trollers. She says, “I know a woman who says that ‘your weapon and his weapon are same on the Internet. I have a keyboard, he has a keyboard so then what the f#@! is holding you back? Speak up!’” Anja believes that trolling is never progressive in nature. “They won’t ever say ‘man you are so conservative, you should stand up for your rights. Trolling is always reinforcing power. It’s a structural thing, linked with surveillance”, she adds. Police records indicate that women these days are most disturbed by the rise in crimes involving images, taken with the aim of morphing, revenge porn and sextortion. Anja says, “Women’s naked images have a power that naked images of men don’t. You can’t blackmail a man with naked images because the power is not the same. So who pays the price--disproportionately the woman. Few men who are convicted are usually those blackmailed by a guy in homosexual relationships." “The aim should be to expand space for women and not reduce the already narrow space. We need a much more concerted response. We advocate for non-legal responses as you can’t go to the police and complain because your timeline is full of words like slut, bitch...That’s really troubling." “Colleagues in Brazil came up with something called ‘Safer nudes’: Safer, not safe because you can never be sure. There are apps nowadays that allow you to delete messages from your phone as well as from the one you have sent. Also, there are apps that alert you when someone takes a screenshot of your photo. We need to have knowledge of these things. So if you are sending these images, then avoid Whatsapp because at least other apps will help you send in a safer way. Their dialogue is basically around empowering and giving the control back to women while creating their own space on the Internet.” A feminist by principle and action, Anja feels it important to start a dialogue for a feminist Internet: one which has a space for women gives them right to sexual expression, consent and control of data. The Internet is a big bad world for women and after all, “people around you shape you, especially as a woman”, she adds. (WION)

The Internet is bad for Indian women

surveillance

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