-AFP Global online freedom declined for a fifth year as govts stepped up electronic surveillance and clamped down on dissidents using blogs or social media Washington: Global online freedom declined for the fifth straight year as governments around the world expand censorship and surveillance of the Internet, according to a group that tracks democracy and human rights. Nearly half of the 65 countries examined have seen online freedom weaken since June...

-The Hindu In the Net neutrality debate, there is a conflict between two core values: ease of access and neutrality. The ease of access promised by applications like Free Basics compromises neutrality and may later morph into a method of predatory pricingIf programs that bring access to a part of the Internet in the immediate future were to entrench themselves, it could eventually lead to telecom companies abusing their dominant positionsIn...

-Hindustan Times U-turns on net neutrality, porn ban and now the draft encryption policy. This is the third time in as many months that the Centre has had to take a step back in the face of a strong public outcry against ‘draft policies’ relating to technology and the digital consumer. For a government that is committed to a Digital India and transformative powers of technology, the series of missteps point to...

-The Times of India NEW YORK: A new UN report reveals that almost three quarters women online are exposed to some form of cyber violence worldwide and only 26% law enforcement agencies in 86 countries surveyed are taking appropriate action. India is one of the countries where reporting about cyber bullying is low. The report 'Combating Online Violence Against Women & Girls: A Worldwide Wake-Up Call', by United Nations Broadband Commission says...

-NDTV Gadgets 360 After massive public outcry, the government has withdrawn a draft proposal that would have drastically altered how WhatsApp and other communication services would operate. Here is your 10-point cheatsheet to this big story: * The proposal (for a National Encryption Policy) was released for public feedback without his knowledge, said IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad, acknowledging that it was poorly worded, and is being reworked. * The minister also...