Now Reading: Apar Gupta warns digital surveillance chills protest rights
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Apar Gupta warns digital surveillance chills protest rights
After the Gen Z protests at Jantar Mantar, Delhi Police and the government used facial recognition, CCTV networks, and drones to monitor protesters, Frontline reports. Apar Gupta, lawyer and digital rights activist,…
The Story in Brief
After the Gen Z protests at Jantar Mantar, Delhi Police and the government used facial recognition, CCTV networks, and drones to monitor protesters, Frontline reports. Apar Gupta, lawyer and digital rights activist, says these measures create a chilling effect on the right to protest.
Gupta notes the lack of a clear legal framework for facial recognition and the risks of inaccurate technology. He also raises concerns about content suppression on Instagram and other social media platforms, and the vulnerabilities created by dependence on privately owned platforms for protests.
The Indian Opinion
The government's expanding surveillance after the Gen Z protests raises familiar tensions between security and privacy. While some argue it is necessary to prevent lawlessness, critics point out that facial recognition technology remains inaccurate and lacks legal oversight. The chilling effect on dissent is already visible. The number that will settle the question is the accuracy rate of the facial recognition software used by Delhi Police.
Source: frontline.thehindu.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
