Internet Freedom Foundation (IFF) is an Indian digital rights organisation that advances liberty, equality, fraternity and social justice in the digital age. IFF has three verticals of work that include strategic litigation, policy engagement and civic literacy.
Background
IFF was formed out of the SaveTheInternet.in campaign which was a volunteer-driven campaign and launched on August 15, 2016.[1] The campaign in support of net neutrality garnered over 1.2 million signatures and led the TRAI to prohibit discriminatory practices by companies on the internet.[2]
To enable structured engagement, the co-founders of the SaveTheInternet.in campaign established IFF to work on issues of privacy, free speech, net neutrality, and innovation on the internet. IFF became a staffed organisation in 2018 and Apar Gupta took over as the Executive Director where he served till March, 2023.[3]
Work
IFF has a wide mandate of work. It undertakes court litigations, policy engagement and advocacy campaigns against digital surveillance, blocking of websites,[4] technology related interference in elections,[5] free speech violations,[6]internet censorship,[7][8] net neutrality, and defends encryption.[9]
Projects
Zombie Tracker
Zombie Tracker is a tool built by IFF in partnership with Civic Data labs to track cases under Section 66A as a "data-driven evidence-based solution" to highlight the continued use of Section 66A, which was struck down by the Supreme Court of India in Shreya Singhal v. Union of India.[10] The tracker along with strategic litigation lead to a closure of all 66A cases.[11]
Project Panoptic
Project Panoptic tracks the development and implementation of facial recognition technology projects in India with an aim to increase transparency and accountability around the use of Facial recognition technology in India. The tracker was built by IFF along with volunteers from Datakind and Frappe. As of November 2021, Project Panoptic has been tracking 78 FRT projects across the country, with an estimated cost of 9.6 billion rupees.[12] IFF's Project Panoptic along with Amnesty International and Article 19, launched the Hyderabad leg of BanTheScan campaign. Hyderabad is one of the most surveilled cities in the world, with 600,000 cameras monitoring its citizens all the time.[13]
Digital Patrakar Defence Clinic
Digital Patrakar Defense Clinic ( DPDC) offers pro-bono legal assistance and representation to Indian journalists, cartoonists, bloggers, and any individuals who use the medium of the internet to report on daily affairs.[14]
Public Campaigns
Speech Bill
In March 2017, IFF drafted a law to reform India's defamation law which was introduced in Lok Sabha as a Private Member's Bill by Tathagata Satpathy.[15] The bill garnered more than 2000 signatures and 54 organisational supporters, including India's largest publishing houses.
Launched in 2018, SaveOurPrivacy is a public initiative launched by a collective of 35 organizations including IFF, which put across a model draft law called "Indian Privacy Code, 2018".[17] The code has seven core principles, one of which calls for surveillance reform. It advocates for a law that limits mass or 'dragnet' surveillance, and lays down clear rules governing individual surveillance.[18] It also seeks the strengthening and protection of the right to information.
After going through multiple revisions, the draft was filed as a private member's bill in the parliament, twice. The collective creates resources for public awareness and continuously engages with government representatives.[19]
Strategic Litigation
IFF has petitioned or intervened in cases relating to Internet Shutdowns,[20] WhatsApp Privacy,[21] the Right to be Forgotten,[22] CCTV surveillance,[23]PUBG bans,[24]Section 66A arrests,[25]Aadhaar Social-Media Linking.[26] It has represented public interest litigants and open source tools such as VLC Player which were blocked in India.[27]
Publications
IFF publishes open working papers from fellows. The first research paper by Nakul Nayak studied the law and impact of internet shutdowns in India,[28] and the second research paper by Apar Gupta and Abhinav Sekhri called attention to the continued use of Section 66A of the IT Act, despite the Supreme Court striking it down.[29] In addition to this IFF published issue specific briefs and explainers such as those on the Digital Data Protection Act, 2023, a quarterly tracker on internet connectivity and briefs for parliamentarians.
Support
IFF is a donor-driven organisation with recurring monthly payment subscriptions for members.[30] It is also organisationally supported by Indian startups and a grant from UNESCO.[31] It also publishes monthly transparency reports[32] and is rated by Guidestar[33] and Credibility Alliance.
