Shashank Mohan

Had a lot of fun doing this! Thanks @internetfreedom for the invitation and folks at Goethe for lending your beautiful space!

“India must set a strong agenda for transparency and accountability of these technologies to ensure that in the goal for innovation, we do not permit AI technologies to cause societal harm.” — @JhalakKakkar and I write in today’s Hindustan Times.

The AI Summit is a key moment for India to highlight its stewardship of a 'third-way' and negotiate new contours of a new AI geopolitical landscape Read this piece by @Shshk @JhalakKakkar hindustantimes.com/india-news/uni…

Shekhar Gupta making content about Dhurandhar is peak desperation.

This isn’t a review but a must-read ideological critique on the propaganda film #Dhurandhar from today's @the_hindu. Adding a fact with Proof - it wasn’t the Kandahar hijackers who called “Hindus cowards” but the RSS Sangh who labelled the pilot & the passengers as cowards. Earlier I shared once, sharing again - After The Kandahar IC 814 Hijack incident on 24th Dec,1999 where the Indian Govt had to release 3 terrorists in exchange for the lives of 155 passengers & 11 crew of the hijacked plane the deal draw a widespread criticism calling "national humiliation". At this moment the then-RSS Chief Rajju Bhaiya (Rajendra Singh) wrote a column in Panchajanya that the incident exposed the deep rooted cowardice within the 'Hindu Samaj'. He emphasised that Hindus should never fear death. He argued on the aircraft, even if 8-10 young men had stood up and confront the terrorists they could have made difference. He noted that while concern from passengers' families was expected, the intensity of their protests was unbecoming of a decent and dignified society. This is why Dr. Hedgewar emphasized cultivating 'Veerta' (bravery) in the Hindu community." This the way the Sanghi brain shifted all accountability from the then Vajpayee Govt to the common public, also a hidden advertising of RSS - 'Join RSS become Brave'. However, the famous Sanghi of VHP working president Ashok Singhal extended this discussion. In one press conference, when he was asked if the Govt could show its courage during this Plane- Hijack, he replied it was not the Govt but the pilot who had to show courage. "If the pilot had courage, he would have just refused to fly the hijacked plane." HT reporters reached Captain Devi Saran for his bite. This time the Captain said in response "I don't know who this gentleman 'Ashok Singhal' is but he knows nothing of aviation or the value of innocent lives." Captain Devi Saran also said "If he speaks about being a 'Hindu' then at first I'm a Human. Even Sri Krishna in Mahabharata tried his best to prevent Bloodshed before Kurukshetra. I would like to ask this Gentleman Did he meet the family members of the hijacked plane passengers or Crew during this crisis period?" Many passengers came out after this & slammed Ashok Singhal's statement. A few passengers wrote a letter Where It said " When the conversation failed on 30th Dec & the hijackers started talking about bombing the plane in the sky it was Captain Saran who told us how to open the emergency door. It was planned that he will not let the plane fly but run till the end & crash it with the wall so that we passengers can jump off the plane & escape. In such a situation, he was going to be killed certainly. And if Mr Singhal is so courageous then why didn't he come to Kandahar to fight those Hijackers & rescue us?" Red faced Sangh Parivar further had no discussion on this subject. It is noteworthy that after so-called nationalist RSS was founded at Dusshera Fest in 1925, it had 22yrs before Independence to make it's mark in the history of the freedom movement. And in it's entire History it worked as British stooge and after the Independence as agent of CIA for petty monetary benefits. And that too have ample evidence. Right now only attaching the proof of the above mentioned incident below. Check that. 🙏🏾 @nmannathukkaren

For essential services you better queue up in Naya Bharat. Whether it’s elections or getting fuel. Merge this with tech-topia, and you have the toxic mix of exclusion and discrimination. FRT for Aasha workers, ekyc for MNREGA (now gone), and digital queues for vaccines. BestIndia

“We’re crafting laws to solve real risks—but are those laws aligned with India’s social context? Digital rules must be grounded in how families actually access and use the internet.” - Shashank Mohan, Associate Director, Centre for Communication Governance, NLU Delhi @Shshk

Congratulations New York City, this is historic! #Mamdani

I also want to point out, that after 2-years, the data protection law remains in complete limbo. The Supreme Court had declared that every Indian has a right to privacy, including from companies, in 2017 and had asked the government to draft a law to protect citizens’ interests.

I don’t understand why companies want an already ‘company-friendly’ law aka the Indian personal data protection act to become even more toothless? What’s even the point of having a privacy law? Also, consent is anyway a very very weak metric for data protection.

Hey @internetfreedom, have you seen this- thehindu.com/news/cities/De….

This chapter is part of our report on “Platform Transparency under the EU’s Digital Services Act: Opportunities and Challenges for the Global South”. You can access the full report here: ccgdelhi.org/research-repor…

In S03E05 of #TheCCGTechPodcast, @Fawaz_Shaheen & @Shshk speak with @ramshajahangir on the way geopolitics is influencing & driving tech policy globally. They look at the changes in Europe, the effect of the Trump administration, as well as the changing outlooks of countries.

2/2: The Indian DPDP Act prescribes data for those under 18 can only be processed with consent of parents or guardians. @JhalakKakkar, @shshk and @DashAngelinaaa examine India’s approach to children’s data protection in Indian context. Read: techpolicy.press/parental-conse…

@1lucabelli @iamgondogol "There is an over reliance on the notion of consent, which exists in the law, but not on the practical reality." - Amrita Sengupta

#Up2DatewithCCG As conversations around withholding Reuters' X account grow, it is interesting to discuss what journalistic speech means. Read this @thehindu op-ed on where 'journalistic exemptions' lie amid India's new data laws by our AD @shshk: bit.ly/45ZB0Sc

It’s mandatory to link Aadhaar to book Tatkal train tickets but apparently you can’t vote with Aadhaar 🤔 #BiharElections2025

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Special thanks to our partners @theGNI and @GlobalPartnersD! 🙏 Together, we’re committed to advancing digital rights and inclusive governance. Stay tuned for more updates and ways to join the conversation!

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Big thanks to Sukriti, Fawaz, Gopika, and Shivani for their incredible work shaping this initiative! 🚀 Their dedication and expertise are invaluable as we strive to make these spaces more accessible and impactful.

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As the WSIS+20 Forum in Geneva approaches & people travel to IGF in Norway, the multi-stakeholder coalition on Internet Governance grows ever more vital. 🌍 Global confidence is low, but these forums are rare spaces for civil society & academia to shape our digital future.