Here's a link to @internetfreedom's paper which unpacks the challenges with tech deployments and surveillance responses to COVID-19. This has been a labour of love & would request stakeholders to go through it and offer feedback

1/15

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1UK5rElhcdP5T3Y-8fYP6cCgQKKpQBeOX/view https://twitter.com/internetfreedom/status/1249618307705008128

If you visit the blogpost on the @internetfreedom website there's a google doc version of the paper, where you can give comments or alternatively shoot us an email as per the instructions. Based on feedback, we will update it and share it with govt and other stakeholders

2/15

Over the course of the week our team will develop blog posts and explainers covering major aspects of the report. However, if you can brave through it I'd urge you to go through the report, since we would like to share a substantively robust submission with decision makers 3/15

Given the global nature of the crisis, it became apparent to us that to have a meaningful dialogue, there's a need to study what's going on not just in India, but internationally as well.

4/15

So we did that and look at works of scholars, technologists, country practices and views of international orgs, and emerging views on how to tackle this developing issue considering, the world's experience with triggers for creation of mass surveillance systems

5/15

We try to answer, the simple question that in these extra ordinary times, how can governments and private actors, use technology in the response against COVID-19 while still protecting people's human rights and fundamental freedoms 6/15

While this report is centred on India, there may be some incites stakeholders for other jurisdictions as well. The report is 88 pages and spans 9 chapters. Two key principles underpin responsible government action (1) limits; and (2) transparency.

7/15

We look at the limits on government use of health records considering in India, this was an initial way to enforce quarantine measures. However, as is the case globally there are more sophisticated deployments of technology possibly simply through the use of cell tower... 8/15

... location data, GPS trails, or a combination of government surveillance technologies (see China, Taiwan, South Korea). Then we analyse the proliferation of experimental contact tracing applications. For contact tracing we delve into international literature for guidance. 9/15

Then we dedicate significant space to breakdown @GovTechSG TraceTogether app, @MIT @techreview Private Kit: Safe Paths application and GOI's Aarogya Setu application. We find divergence b/w India's approach and other practices, and glaring risks to civil liberties 10/15

We suggest granular recommendations which we hope can support with course correction. Subsequently, the last two chapters of the report unpack (1) @Apple and @Google's latest announcement for a contact tracing project, highlighting possible issues with the project... 11/15

(2) We put forth our concerns with technological solutionism, the threat of permanent systems of surveillance and how there are long term civil liberties risks which require expedited dialogue and interventions. 12/5

Would reiterate limits (i.e. data minimisation and strict purpose limitation), assurances of deletion of new systems, transparency, auditability, and vigilance against mission creep are prerequisites to the conversation.

13/15

This a humble effort by our team @internetfreedom to start substantive dialogue on an issue with long term implications. We aim to keep on improving the document with people's feedback, and use it to refine our position even as we share it with stakeholders. 14/15

@GoI_MeitY @MoHFW_INDIA @tim_cook @sundarpichai @Snowden @privacyint @accessnow @EFF
@PIBHomeAffairs @shoshanazuboff @rcalo @Adam_D_Schwartz @ShashiTharoor @PMOIndia @narendramodi @Product_Nation

15/15

End of thread. Tomorrow onwards we will start exploring some of the finer points in the report to maximise its accessibility for stakeholders. We hope the report offers some value as we move forward with these conversations.