Pranesh Prakash
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pranesh.in
Pranesh Prakash
@pranesh.in
390 followers 140 following 620 posts
Tech policy & law @anekaanta.org

Also: Co-founder, Centre for Internet & Society / Affiliated Fellow, @yaleisp.bsky.social

#a2k #privacy #FoE #AI #infosec #netgov #FOSS #NetNeutrality #a11y #DPI

zhōngyōng & anēkāntavāda

prāṇēś prakāś
pranesh.in
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pranesh.in
The Bangalore Legal Forum (MLS-MAHE + NLSIU + SLCU + SJCL) is organizing its inaugural event:

Free Speech and Internet Regulation in India
Bangalore International Centre
Wednesday, April 23, 2025
16:00–17:30

Come join Sarayu Natarajan, @prateekwaghre.com, Sachin S., and yours truly
Poster: Bangalore Legal Forum panel on "Free Speech and Internet Regulation in India," April 23, 2025, 4-5:30 PM at Bangalore International Centre. Speakers: Dr. Sarayu Natarajan, Mr. Pranesh Prakash, Mr. Prateek Waghre (Fellow, Tech Policy Press), and moderator Mr. Sachin Sathyarajan (Manipal Law School). Organized by MLS-MAHE, Christ School of Law, SJCL, and NLSIU Bengaluru. Contact: +91-9513330565, RSVP link available. The forum promotes legal knowledge sharing.
April 21, 2025 at 10:43 AM
pranesh.in
US liberals haven't been very supportive of free trade over the past few years, just like US conservatives. Trump's election have led them to strongly change their minds. Now more than 40% of US liberals "strongly approve of free trade".

Graph by @jburnmurdoch.ft.com

#tribalism #polarization #USA
Line graph titled "American attitudes towards free trade have rapidly polarised." It shows the share of US Liberals (blue), Moderates (grey), and Conservatives (red) who strongly approve of free trade from January 2023 to January 2025. Liberal approval rises sharply after the late 2024 election and early 2025 inauguration, exceeding 40%. Moderate approval shows a smaller increase to around 25%. Conservative approval remains low and relatively flat around 15%. The graph demonstrates a growing divergence in attitudes towards free trade based on political ideology.
April 18, 2025 at 4:20 PM
pranesh.in
Many left-leaning politicians see free trade differently. Sen. Bernie Sanders opposed NAFTA, TPP, and trade normalization with China. They and the unions might he wrong. But at least those unions are being consistent regarding what they see as their interests regardless of who is in power.
But I think when people take a look at my record versus Vice President Biden’s record – I helped lead the fight against (North American Free Trade Agreement); he voted for NAFTA,” Sanders said on “Anderson Cooper 360.” “I helped lead the fight against (permanent normal trade relations) with China; he voted for it. I strongly opposed the Trans-Pacific Partnership; he supported it. I voted against the war in Iraq; he voted for it.”
March 27, 2025 at 10:27 AM
pranesh.in
American unions seem to have a different idea about free trade & tariffs from liberal American academics.

“We applaud the Trump administration for stepping up to end the free trade disaster that has devastated working-class communities for decades.” said UAW Pres Shawn Fain
uaw.org/tariffs-mark...
In a Victory for Autoworkers, Auto Tariffs Mark the Beginning of the End of NAFTA and the “Free Trade” Disaster UAW Wheel logo This afternoon, the Trump administration announced major tariffs on passenger cars and trucks entering the U.S. market, marking the beginning of the end of a thirty-plus year “free trade” disaster. This is a long-overdue shift away from a harmful economic framework that has devastated the working class and driven a race to the bottom across borders in the auto industry. It signals a return to policies that prioritize the workers who build this country—rather than the greed of ruthless corporations.
March 27, 2025 at 8:43 AM
pranesh.in
Aren't forced diversity statements exactly like mandated anti-insurrection pledges of yore which academics challenged in courts and which were found to be unconstitutional by SCOTUS?
Typically, a loyalty oath has wording similar to that mentioned in the U.S Supreme Court decision of Garner v. Board of Public Works: [7] requiring the making of this oath or affirmation, advised, advocated or taught, the overthrow by force, violence or other unlawful means, of the Government of the United States of America or of the State of I further swear (or affirm) that I do not advise, advocate or teach, and have not within the period beginning five (5) years prior to the effective date of the ordinance California and that I am not now and have not, within said period, been or become a member of or affiliated with any group, society, association, organization or party which advises, advocates or teaches, or has, within said period, advised, advocated or taught, the overthrow by force, violence or other unlawful means of the Government of the United States of America, or of the State of California. I further swear (or affirm) that I will not, while I am in the service of the City of Los Angeles, advise, advocate or said period, advised, advocated or taught, the overthrow by force, violence or other unlawful means, of the Government of the United States of America or of the State of California.... Example 2 - As noted on the UC San Diego website, diversity, equity, and inclusion are part of the University of California's fundamental mission and are integral to UC San Diego achievement of academic excellence. My commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion, as demonstrated by my past experiences, align well with this philosophy. As a woman in the sciences, I have seen firsthand how the academic environment can be unwelcoming, unfair and inequitable because of not fitting into a particular gender schema. I am committed to making a difference in ensuring that everyone is given opportunities to excel in their scholarly activities.
March 20, 2025 at 3:28 PM
pranesh.in
Twitter/X has filed a writ petition in the Karnataka High Court challenging the govt's authority to censor under S.79(3)(b) of the IT Act.

Glad to see that Twitter's lawyers are adopting an argument I've put forward for over a decade!

#FoE #censorship #India

www.barandbench.com/news/litigat...
X has sought the following relief from the High Court: A declaration that Section 79(3)(b) does not authorize the government to issue information-blocking orders, which are exclusively governed by Section 69A. Quashing of the impugned notifications and restraining the government from taking prejudicial action against X related to the illegal blocking orders and the Censorship Portal. Interim relief to restrain the government from taking coercive action against X for not complying with blocking orders issued outside the Section 69A process or for refusing to join the Censorship Portal.
March 20, 2025 at 1:01 PM
pranesh.in
One of the things I dislike about Bluesky is how hastily people block others. I saw nothing rude in what you said, nothing "block-worthy".
I’m using @graze.social to split my Following feed into arts and entertainment, life and diary, and news and politics using their Topic Analysis feature. It’s free, too! There’s lots of culture talk on here, you just have to find and use the tools available to you.
March 19, 2025 at 7:37 PM
pranesh.in
"Aren't Jews skilled in somehow gaining control over ruling classes without any responsibility other than their self-interest, scheming and tormenting other groups to exploit them?" — Periyar EVR (1938-03-20, reprinted in Viḍudalai on 2016-07-09)

#Antisemitism #Dravidianism
English translation of https://dravidar.mooligaimannan.com/2016/09/blog-post_5.html The highlighted words read: "Just as Jews have no specific country to reside in and no patriotism, don't Brahmins also have no specific village and no patriotism? Aren't Jews skilled in somehow gaining control over ruling classes without any responsibility other than their self-interest, scheming and tormenting other groups to exploit them?"
March 19, 2025 at 7:26 PM
pranesh.in
Folks like Karen Attiah will never understand why so many liberals dislike the mandated segregation and racial hierarchy that "DEI" imposes.
Pranesh Prakash (bsky.pranesh.in) @pranesh Toronto educator commits suicide after being falsely accused of being a "white supremacist" and bullied by a DEl trainer: quillette.com/2023/07/21/rip... 8:36 AM Jul 23, 2023 1,279 Views
March 19, 2025 at 5:44 PM
pranesh.in
I've made it clear that I believe ICE's actions are horrendous and illiberal. I believe this rhetoric is disrespectful to those whose loved ones actually were disappeared.

My desktop wallpaper is of a Chilean woman dancing a cueca solo. This photo is on display in Santiago's Museo de la Memoria.
A black and white photo captures a woman dancing the cueca solo, Chile's national dance, on a stage. She is dressed in a long skirt and blouse, her back to the viewer, with her arms crossed and head bowed. Behind her, a group of women musicians provide accompaniment with guitars and vocals. The stage is simply decorated with a banner reading "OSA MOS" and two bright overhead lights. The audience is not visible.
March 12, 2025 at 1:49 PM
pranesh.in
"Disappeared" rightly means that the state has without due process abducted a person, that the person's whereabouts are not known, and it is not known whether the person's alive or dead since the govt doesn't acknowledge them.

Misusing it for detentions one (rightly) disagrees with is demeaning.
transitive verb : to cause (someone or something) to disappear: a : to abduct and kill or imprison (someone, such as a political dissident) while withholding information about the person's fate Her son was disappeared during Argentina's so-called 'Dirty War.' —Associated Press Under his repressive regime, tens of thousands of Chileans were "disappeared," tortured and killed; hundreds of thousands were forced into exile. —Mandalit del Barco
March 12, 2025 at 3:48 AM
pranesh.in
I recall how German diplomats rolling their eyes (in 2018) when Trump brought up Germany's energy dependence on Russia became fodder for late night comedy TV. Trump was "fact-checked" by media back in 2018.

Media hyper-partisanship is harmful regardless of who's in power.
https://x.com/pranesh/status/1513831792167378946 https://x.com/pranesh/status/1539229788233093120
March 10, 2025 at 5:07 AM
pranesh.in
Guess which US president said this.
The President said that for five years he has been urging the State Department to put the facts of life before the Europeans concerning reduction of our forces. Considering the European resources, and improvements in their economies, there is no reason that they cannot take on these burdens. Our forces were put there on a stop-gap emergency basis. The Europeans now attempt to consider this deployment as a permanent and definite commitment. We are carrying practically the whole weight of the strategic deterrent force, also conducting space activities, and atomic programs. We paid for most of the infrastructure, and maintain large air and naval forces as well as six divisions. He thinks the Europeans are close to “making a sucker out of Uncle Sam”; so long as they could prove a need for emergency help, that was one thing. But that time has passed. https://history.state.gov/historicaldocuments/frus1958-60v07p1/d226
March 10, 2025 at 4:57 AM
pranesh.in
As a thought experiment, change the term "Nazi" for "Communist", or "Evangelical {Christian,Atheist}". Do you still feel the same way about the "Nazi bar" problem?
(transcribed from a series of tweets) - @iamragesparkle I was at a shitty crustpunk bar once getting an after-work beer. One of those shitholes where the bartenders clearly hate you. So the bartender and I were ignoring one another when someone sits next to me and he immediately says, "no. get out." And the dude next to me says, "hey i'm not doing anything, i'm a paying customer." and the bartender reaches under the counter for a bat or something and says, "out. now." and the dude leaves, kind of yelling. And he was dressed in a punk uniform, I noticed Anyway, I asked what that was about and the bartender was like, "you didn't see his vest but it was all nazi shit. Iron crosses and stuff. You get to recognize them." And i was like, ohok and he continues. "you have to nip it in the bud immediately. These guys come in and it's always a nice, polite one. And you serve them because you don't want to cause a scene. And then they become a regular and after awhile they bring a friend. And that dude is cool too. And then THEY bring friends and the friends bring friends and they stop being cool and then you realize, oh shit, this is a Nazi bar now. And it's too late because they're entrenched and if you try to kick them out, they cause a PROBLEM. So you have to shut them down. And i was like, 'oh damn.' and he said "yeah, you have to ignore their reasonable arguments because their end goal is to be terrible, awful people." And then he went back to ignoring me. But I haven't forgotten that at all.
March 5, 2025 at 5:39 AM
pranesh.in
In India in 2022, girls outnumbered boys in undergrad degrees in the sciences, medicine, and arts.

Boys outnumbered girls in engineering and commerce undergrad degrees.
Chart Title: Arts attracts the most undergraduates in India Description: A horizontal bar chart showing undergraduate enrolment by major disciplines in India for 2022, broken down by gender. The chart displays male enrolment (purple bars) on the left and female enrolment (yellow bars) on the right for six academic disciplines. Key Points: -Arts has the highest enrolment with 5.6 million male and 5.7 million female students, showing slightly higher female participation -Engineering shows the largest gender gap with 2.8 million male students compared to just 1.1 million female students (highlighted as "Largest gap between genders") -Science has relatively balanced enrolment with 2.4 million males and 2.5 million females Source: AISHE, Department of Higher Education Attribution: DataForIndia.com/higher-education/ | CC BY
March 4, 2025 at 4:06 AM
pranesh.in
Below is an account by a CBS correspondent. Zelensky's Fox interview also suggests he realized he'd messed up

At any rate, my sole point was that the perspectives of liberals in the US and EU seems to differ on this from liberals in many other countries, at least going by my Twitter feed.
Jennifer Jacobs @JenniferJJacobs **High-level Trump sources tell me the White House is now uncertain if they can get the Russians and Ukrainians to stop fighting because this episode with @ZelenskyyUa raised questions about whether he can move forward toward a peace deal. It also raises questions about whether US will pause aid to Ukraine. But Trump is NOT seeking regime change in Ukraine. No discussions about who in Ukraine might be a better leader than Zelenskyy. Ukrainian officials have reached out this afternoon to senior White House officials desperate to get the deal back on track. But that will not happen today, I'm told. Trump is unwilling to talk to Zelenskyy further today. When Rubio and Waltz went into the Roosevelt Room to ask Zelenskyy to leave, Rubio made it clear that any further engagements today would be counterproductive. Waltz told Zelenskyy he had made a tremendous mistake, and it was a grave disservice to Ukraine and to Americans, both. No phone calls between Trump and Putin have been scheduled. But multiple European officials have called top Trump officials since Zelenskyy left asking how the minerals deal can be salvaged. Trump fully intended to sign the minerals deal today. Two official binders were prepared -- Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and his Ukrainian counterpart and the two presidents were going to sit at a conference table in the East Room and then trumpet their success at podiums. But there were suspicions before Zelenskyy arrived today that it might fall apart. Because the Trump admin had been pushing for weeks for a minerals deal signing at the ministerial level, and Ukraine had refused. Zelenskyy wanted security guarantees. US officials thought negotiations would be much harder with **Putin** so today have been been in disbelief that it has been Zelenskyy who has been more difficult, making maximalist demands, sources told me.
March 1, 2025 at 4:27 PM
pranesh.in
Kaja Kallas, an anti-China hawk who believes China needs to be "defeated", believes the EU is going to lead the "free world".

The EU hasn't even been able to wean itself off Russian oil 3 years after sanctioning it.

The hubris runs high among belligerent Eurocrats.
EU imports of Russian fossil fuels in third year of invasion surpass financial aid sent to Ukraine
March 1, 2025 at 1:00 PM
pranesh.in
The VoA has no real editorial independence. It is required, by law, to further US foreign policy objectives.

The idea that it's editorially independent displays a gross misunderstanding of what VoA is meant to do.
SEC. 303. STANDARDS AND PRINCIPLES. (a) BROADCASTING STANDARDS- United States international broadcasting shall-- (1) be consistent with the broad foreign policy objectives of the United States; (2) be consistent with the international telecommunications policies and treaty obligations of the United States; (3) not duplicate the activities of private United States broadcasters; (4) not duplicate the activities of government supported broadcasting entities of other democratic nations; (5) be conducted in accordance with the highest professional standards of broadcast journalism; (6) be based on reliable information about its potential audience; and (7) be designed so as to effectively reach a significant audience. (b) BROADCASTING PRINCIPLES- United States international broadcasting shall include-- (1) news which is consistently reliable and authoritative, accurate, objective, and comprehensive; (2) a balanced and comprehensive projection of United States thought and institutions, reflecting the diversity of United States culture and society; (3) clear and effective presentation of the policies of the United States Government and responsible discussion and opinion on those policies; (4) programming to meet needs which remain unserved by the totality of media voices available to the people of certain nations;
March 1, 2025 at 12:11 PM
pranesh.in
Given that many of the signatories to the open letter supporting "digital sovereignty" are currently at #RightsCon, I'm wondering if any folks who believe that using secret ex-parte orders to ban speech are also there. Or is RightsCon an echo chamber?

progressive.international/wire/2024-11...
First signatures in alphabetical order Anita Gurumurthy, IT for Change Çağrı Çavuş, SOMO Assoc Prof. Cecilia Rikap, University College London, IIPP and CONICET Prof. Cédric Durand, University of Geneva Prof. C P Chandrasekhar, IDEAs and PERI, UMass Dr. Cory Doctorow (h.c.), author, activist, journalist. Prof. Cristina Caffarra, University College London, CEPR Competition RPN Prof. Daron Acemoglu, MIT Economics David Adler, Progressive International Ekaitz Cancela, Center for the Advancement of Infrastructural Imagination (CAII) Assoc Prof. Edemilson Paraná, LUT University Prof. Emiliano Brancaccio, University of Sannio Dr. Evgeny Morozov, author and producer of "The Santiago Boys" and "A Sense of Rebellion" Assoc Prof. Francesca Bria, University College London, IIPP and Stifung Mercator Prof. Gabriel Zucman, Paris School of Economics and UC Berkeley Helena Martins, Federal University of Ceará Prof. Jason Hickel, ICTA-UAB and LSE Dr. Jathan Sadowski, Monash University Prof. Jayati Ghosh, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Deparment of Economics Dr. Joel Rabinovich, King's College London José Graziano da Silva, Dir Gen Instituto Fome Zero-Zero Hunger Institute, former DG of FAO-UN Prof. José van Dijck, Utrecht University Prof. Juan Martín Graña, CONICET and Universidad Nacional de San Martín Prof. Julia Cagé, Sciences Po Paris, Department of Economics Prof. Marcela Amaro, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México Prof. Marcos Dantas, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro Prof. Mariana Mazzucato, University College London, author of Mission Economy Prof. Margarita Olivera, Institute of Economics, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro Margarida Silva, SOMO Maria Farrell, writer Marietje Schaake, Stanford University, author of "The Tech Coup" Prof. Martín Becerra, CONICET and Universidad de Buenos Aires Prof. Martín Guzman, School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA), Columbia University Nandini Chami, IT for Change Dr. Niall Re… Public Letter Against Big Tech's Attack on Digital Sovereignties We the undersigned wish to express our deep concern regarding the ongoing attacks by Big Tech companies and their allies on Brazil's digital sovereignty. Brazil's dispute with Elon Musk is only the latest instance in a wider effort to restrict the ability of sovereign nations to define a digital developmental agenda free from the control of US-based megacorporations. At the end of August, the Brazilian Supreme Court banned X from Brazilian cyberspace for failing to comply with court rulings demanding the suspension of accounts who instigated far-right extremists to take part in riots and occupy the Legislative, Judiciary and Governmental palaces on 8 January 2023. Subsequently, President Lula da Silva made clear the intention of the Brazilian government to pursue digital independence: lessening the countries' reliance of foreign entities for data, Al capabilities and digital infrastructure and promoting the development of local tech ecosystems. Pursuant to these objectives, the Brazilian state also intends to force Big Tech companies to pay fair taxes, comply with local laws and be held to account for the social externalities of their business models, which often promote violence and inequality. These efforts have been met with attacks from X's owner and the far-right leaders complaining about democracy and free speech. But precisely because the digital space lacks international and democratically decided regulatory agreements, large tech companies operate as rulers, governing what shall be moderated and what is promoted in their platforms. What's more, X and other companies have started organising themselves and their allies inside and outside the country to undermine initiatives aiming at Brazil's technological autonomy. More than warning Brazil, their actions send a worrying message to the world: that democratic countries seeking independence from the domination of Big Tech run the risk of disr…
February 26, 2025 at 5:07 AM
pranesh.in
Not only should there be a writ petition under Art. 226, there should also be a contempt of court petition filed.

pranesh.in/scholarly/ar...
Screenshot from https://pranesh.in/scholarly/articles/internet-blocking-and-shutdowns-in-india-and-international-human-rights-law.html Screenshot from https://pranesh.in/scholarly/articles/internet-blocking-and-shutdowns-in-india-and-international-human-rights-law.html
February 20, 2025 at 4:07 PM
pranesh.in
Why, @washingtonexaminer.bsky.social ?
Sorry, you have been blocked.
February 15, 2025 at 4:13 PM
pranesh.in
Calling a woman an "illegitimate wife" (referring to the void status of the 2nd marriage of a woman who didn't divorce her 1st husband) doesn't violate constitutional rights under any sane reading of the Indian Constitution.

The Supreme Court recognizes no limits to "the right to life" u/ Art. 21.
Under Article 21 of the Constitution of India, every person has a fundamental right to lead a dignified life. Calling a woman an 'illegitimate wife' or 'faithful mistress' will amount to a violation of the fundamental rights of that woman under Article 21 of the Constitution of India. Describing a woman by using these words is against the ethos and ideals of our Constitution. No one can use such adjectives while referring to a woman who is a party to a void marriage. Unfortunately, we find that such objectionable language is used in a judgment of the Full Bench of a High Court. The use of such words is misogynistic. The law laid by the Full Bench of the Bombay High Court is obviously not correct,' the Court observed.
February 13, 2025 at 12:02 PM
pranesh.in
American writers who've never lived in South Africa, who've never spoken to Elon Musk, take it upon themselves to psychoanalyse his current politics to Apartheid.

South African journalists have called this "facile American journalism".
https://www.businesslive.co.za/bd/opinion/columnists/2025-01-17-jonny-steinberg-is-musks-foray-into-right-wing-politics-rooted-in-apartheid/ JONNY STEINBERG: Is Musk’s foray into right-wing politics rooted in apartheid? That a man who grew up in late 20th century SA is supporting remigration in Europe tells a story  BL Premium 17 January 2025 - 05:00 Explaining Elon Musk via his childhood in apartheid SA is in principle a bad idea. It has produced some of the most facile American journalism I have read in recent years. To speculate about the psychology of a person you do not know, who grew up in country to which you’ve never been, is a terrible foundation for an essay.
February 10, 2025 at 7:18 AM
pranesh.in
I wonder why fact-checking organizations oppose #Meta community notes as a system of countering #disinfo.

#FoE #censorship

www.techpolicy.press/the-looming-...
This cooperative mechanism applies not only to the TFC and MyGoPen but also to many fact-checking organizations worldwide. According to a report by the International Fact-Checking Network (IFCN) in 2022, Meta's Third-Party Fact-Checking Program was the leading funding source for the majority of fact-checking organizations across the globe. Over the past years, the third-party program, with the coordination of IFCN, has also played an essential role in facilitating an alliance among international fact-checkers.
February 7, 2025 at 2:58 PM
pranesh.in
I wonder what neo-Buddhists (who make up the bulk of Buddhists in India) make of this mingling of Sanatana Dharma and Buddhism.
The exiled Tibetan defence minister, Gyari Dolma, called the event historic, noting that it marked a significant step toward fostering closeness between Sanatan Dharma and Buddhism. She emphasised that while Buddhism has various sects, such as Mahay... Read more at: https://www.deccanherald.com/india/uttar-pradesh/message-of-unity-between-sanatan-dharma-and-buddhism-conveyed-from-maha-kumbh-3391764
February 6, 2025 at 5:54 PM