Now: Draft Gaming Rules published for public consultation until October 31. Link: www.meity.gov.in/static/uploa...

Now: Twitter is going to appeal The Karnataka High Court judgement on the use of Section 79.3.b to issue blocking orders, on the constitutionality of Rule 3.1.d, and the creation of I4C’s Sahyog portal.

New: The DoT has released draft user identification rules for a 30-day public consultation. The rules propose requiring all telecom entities to create a biometric identity verification system, amongst other things. Read all the details here: thetechtrace.substack.com/p/edition-13...

New: Detailed interview with IT Secretary S. Krishnan on the fine print of the Online Gaming Bill. thetechtrace.substack.com/p/edition-12...

Analysis: Of the Online Gaming Bill. What is covered? What is not? So much power with the Centre! Link to full article: thetechtrace.substack.com/p/edition-11...

New: MeitY met four media bodies to discuss two primary issues in the DPDP Act: removal of exemption for journalistic work, and dilution of the RTI Act. Link to article with all the details: thetechtrace.substack.com/p/edition-10...

Now: Details of the “blocking order” issued by MIB against 26 websites and 14 apps for obscenity, vulgarity and pornographic content:

As I reported in my newsletter on July 6:

ICYMI: Now that the two Reuters X accounts have been unblocked in India after MeitY’s intervention, read about the unblocking and re-blocking orders passed last week: thetechtrace.substack.com/p/edition-9-...

New: Karnataka HC has allowed X to challenge part of IT Rules, 2021. Railways ministry sent X a takedown notice on June 26. Digipub's intervention application not admitted but to be heard along with the matter. + details of govt’s submissions Link to full story: open.substack.com/pub/thetecht...

New: Proton is challenging Karnataka HC's April 29 blocking order against Proton Mail on 3 grounds: 1. Proton gave information about one email address to Swiss justice ministry in February 2025 on receiving a validated request. Link to full story: thetechtrace.substack.com/p/edition-7-...

New: Police from TN, MH, WB and Bihar sent X Section 79(3)(b) content takedown notices to get tweets critical or mocking of the respective state governments removed. Link to full story: www.thenewsminute.com/news/tn-maha...

When you break stories but others get cited and credited for copying them days and weeks later *le sigh* #StoryOfMyLife

New: X now wants Karnataka HC to declare Rule 3(1)(d) of IT Rules, 2021 as unconstitutional and ultra vires of the IT Act. It also wants I4C’s Sahyog to be declared ultra vires of the IT Act “and/or” unconstitutional. Link to the full article: thetechtrace.substack.com/p/edition-6-...

New: Digipub and Abhinandan Sekhri filed an intervention application to join X's lawsuit against Indian govt’s use of Section 79(3)(b) of the IT Act + I4C's Sahyog portal to issue content takedown notices to intermediaries. Link to full article: thetechtrace.substack.com/p/edition-5-...

New: The MIB convened a virtual meeting with major Indian news channels on May 9, telling them to stick to fact-based reporting during the then ongoing Operation Sindoor. Link to detailed story: thetechtrace.substack.com/p/edition-3-...

New: The IT parliamentary committee had held a short meeting on fake news on May 7. Meeting was truncated because of developments around Operation Sindoor. Link to detailed story: thetechtrace.substack.com/p/edition-4-...

Now: X accounts of both BBC Urdu and Outlook India have been unblocked in India by MeitY. BBC Urdu was blocked earlier this week and Outlook India earlier today.

Now: Now: Twitter’s Global Affairs account restored in India. MeitY had asked X about its tweet from last night (8,000 accounts, etc.), as per a person aware of the matter. X blocked it in India without an order. Now MeitY has issued an order to X to NOT block it, as per this person.

Now: Twitter’s Global Affairs account withheld in India.

Now: Twitter just went public with the scale of blocking orders it has received from the Indian government.

Now: Indian MIB directs all streaming platforms, media platforms and intermediaries to stop showing any content originating from Pakistan.

New: MIB created an inter-ministerial committee in January 2024 to tackle indecent and immoral content on streaming platforms and digital news publishers through Section 79(3)(b) notices. Link to detailed article: thetechtrace.substack.com/p/edition-2-...

New: UIDAI has a new Aadhaar app, currently in beta testing, that could nix the pervasive need for photocopies of Aadhaar + allow holders to limit what fields they share at, say, entrance of a historical monument. Some details in today’s paper. Link: www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/n...

New: MeitY told Madras HC: 1. 2023 online gaming amendments to IT Rules “not currently enforceable” as MeitY has not notified any self-regulatory bodies 2. Only a law from Parliament can make Aadhaar mandatory Short story in paper: Link to full story: www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/o...

New: In Karnataka HC, Centre said that S79.3.b of IT Act ‘complements’ S69A blocking process. It said that conflation of two was X’s attempt to evade obligations while retaining safe harbour. Shorter story in paper: Full story with Centre’s arguments: www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/i...

What is the German word for preemptive nostalgia?

New: I. Parliamentary standing committee on IT recommended: 1. Creating a Media Council to bring different forms of media including print, broadcast and digital under one umbrella Story in today’s paper: Link: www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/p...

New: The govt does not plan to monetise non-personal data through its recently launched datasets platform, AIKosha, MoS for IT informed Rajya Sabha on Friday. Link: www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/n...

New: Due to insufficient workforce, Cert-In’s work in helping entities affected by ransomware incidents is impacted, MeitY told the parliamentary standing committee. Short story in today’s paper: Link to detailed story about demand for grants report: www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/c...

New: Railways ministry has sent at least 7 content takedown notices to social media platforms since Dec, targeting tweets and videos ranging from overcrowded Maha Kumbh Special trains to train vandalism incidents. Shorter story in paper: Detailed story: www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/r...

New: For the first time, the govt revealed that MIB’s blocking/grievance redressal inter-departmental committee has members from Press Council of India, FICCI and CII. Rule 14 of IT Rules 2021 allows for this. Story in today’s paper: Link to story: www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/f...

New: X/Twitter has once again taken on the Indian govt’s blocking regime and challenged the use of Section 79(3)(b) to issue blocking orders in Karnataka HC. Shorter story in today’s papers: Link to detailed story: www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/x...

New: Parliamentary panel recommended that MEA should accelerate its ongoing process to integrate the Passport Seva Programme (PSP) system with Aadhaar, PAN, voter ID, etc. With Vrinda Tulsian Shorter story in today’s paper: Link to full story: www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/1...

When you have 3500 things that need to be urgently done and all you want to do is finish making your sweater ahead of the upcoming summer …

New: At least 4 officials said that the ECI’s intention was to always make Aadhaar-electoral rolls linkage mandatory, as reflected in the language of Form 6B, Form 6. With Abhishek Angad Ed: @binayak.bsky.social Story in today’s paper: Link to full story: www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/c...

New: The Centre has filed an appeal against the Bombay HC’s 2024 judgment that struck down the fact check amendment of IT Rules, 2021, as unconstitutional. Shorter story in today’s paper with details from the SLP: Link to full story: www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/n...

New: Cert-In found multiple security gaps in ICMR system. Story in today’s paper. Link to full story: www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/s...

New: IT parliamentary committee on wants MIB to introduce Broadcasting Bill in parliament at the earliest. In Jan submission to the committee, for the first time, MIB acknowledged the existence of the 2024 draft. Story in today’s paper: Link to full story: www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/p...

If you think that your personal data — no matter how benign it may seem — won’t be weaponised against you by those in power, I have a bridge to sell you.

It’s amazing how I have fallen sick the exact same week two years in a row. Should set a reminder for next year.

New: Details of the AIKosha and Computer Capacity portals launched under IndiaAI Mission. Story in today’s paper: Link: www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/g...

New: In a Feb 27 letter, TRAI told DoT that TRAI can’t give recommendations on regulation of VPN apps. It said that only MeitY can regulate them under extant laws. Shorter story in today’s paper: Link to detailed story: www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/c...

New: IndiaAI Mission is looking to collaborate with Prasar Bharati and All India Radio to add their multilingual news broadcasts to the IndiaAI Datasets Platform. Story in today’s paper: Link: www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/w...

When you run out of yarn halfway through your project and then have to wait for a week for more yarn to be delivered … *le sigh*

I have no idea why my sleeveless sweater needs more yarn than my full sleeves sweater.

When your food is so spicy that you can feel the heat in your ears 🥵

New: Railways ministry, on Feb 17, directed X to take down 285 tweets with videos of casualties from the February 15 New Delhi Railway Station stampede. Issued under S79.3.b of IT Act and R3.1.d of IT Rules. Story in today’s paper: Link: www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/r...

Is it just me or is Zero Day on Netflix just not engaging?

New: Reliance Jio supported data localisation during the second Delhi consultation on draft DPDP Rules. Short story in today’s paper: Link to story with all the details from the meeting: www.hindustantimes.com/business/rel...