The newspaper's guidelines to its journalists violate the individual's right to association.  Some of the conditions laid down are simply perplexing, feels GEETA SESHU.

Even as journalists are busy getting the inside story, there are others who are keeping a close watch on their every move.  MIR UBAID reveals that it has now become incumbent on media persons to employ secure communication tools.

Is Research in Motion (RIM) making too many concessions to governments over access to encrypted data on Blackberrys,  asks Reporters without Borders (RSF).

The Jan Lokpal Bill gives the Lokpal the authority to tap phones and intercept emails. Aruna Roy and Nikhil Dey say it amounts to excessive powers.  The implications of this for the right to privacy needs much more debate, says GEETA SESHU

Senior Supreme Court advocate Prashant Bhushan speaks about the public’s right to know,  in a telephonic interview with GEETA SESHU

Zero safeguards, sweeping laws on interception and monitoring of digital data and the amassing of immense personal data for schemes like Aadhar,  give all citizens, not just those under surveillance, little or no privacy rights, says GEETA SESHU

Are the risks of surveillance and profiling acceptable trade-offs for the ‘inclusion and portability’ of the Unique Identification Number (UID) that government officials believe the scheme will confer?  KALYANI MENON-SEN argues that it will not and says that a campaign against the scheme was launched in New Delhi last week.

Agencies of the State and the private sector are collecting a variety of data on individuals. Adequate regulatory measures are needed to rein them in and safeguard individual privacy and data protection,  says VENKATESH NAYAK, discussing government consultations on a proposed privacy law

What are the implications of the Unique Identification Number for privacy and security of personal information?  UIA chairperson Nandan Nilekani believes privacy will be protected but people are unconvinced, reports GEETA SESHU with IANS

Already, the proposal has triggered objections and the Darul uloom at Deoband has stated that it would be against the Shariat.  GEETA SESHU looks at issues surrounding the decision to introduce body scanners in India.