Sunil Abraham and The Economic Times

The Economic Times is one of India’s most widely read financial newspapers, covering markets, policy, regulation, industry, and technology. Over the years, Sunil Abraham has contributed several articles to the publication and has also been quoted across its reporting on digital rights, privacy, platform governance, and technology policy.

This cluster brings together all publications and media mentions connected to The Economic Times, providing a clean, unified reference point for researchers, students, and anyone following Sunil Abraham’s work.

✍️ Publications

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Lining Up the Data on the Srikrishna Privacy Draft Bill
30 July 2018
An article by Sunil Abraham analysing the implications of non-consensual processing in the Srikrishna Committee's draft data protection bill.
Online Censorship: How Government Should Approach Regulation of Speech
02 December 2012
An Economic Times column by Sunil Abraham (2 December 2012) examining how governments should approach online speech regulation, unintended consequences of censorship, and the importance of proportional responses, social norms, and context.
Privacy Worries Cloud Facebook's WhatsApp Deal
14 March 2014
An article by Sunil Abraham in The Economic Times analysing the privacy and competition concerns arising from Facebook’s acquisition of WhatsApp, and the need for data protection regulation in India.
Smartphones, Tablets and the Patent Wars
08 March 2012
An Economic Times commentary by Sunil Abraham examining patent restrictions, Shanzhai innovation, standards policy, royalty caps, and how developing markets benefit from different IP regimes.
Why NPCI and Facebook Need Urgent Regulatory Attention
10 June 2018
An opinion column by Sunil Abraham analysing the convergence of digital payments infrastructure (NPCI/UPI) and Facebook/WhatsApp, and arguing for stronger regulatory oversight around privacy, competition and governance.

📣 Media Mentions

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2012: The Year Social Media Came of Age in India
31 December 2012
An Economic Times report recounting how social media reshaped public discourse in India during 2012, from protest mobilisation and political engagement to the growing influence of online youth communities, with commentary from Sunil Abraham and other experts.
5 Things You Need to Know About Online Privacy Policies
02 February 2012
An Economic Times report outlining key concepts behind online privacy policies, including data retention, legal jurisdiction, post-deletion data practices and commentary from Sunil Abraham on the need for a comprehensive privacy law in India.
Aadhaar's National Goals Hinge on Tech Pilot Success in Mysore, Hyderabad, Pune
20 December 2011
An Economic Times investigation documenting early implementation challenges of Aadhaar-linked LPG subsidy pilots across three Indian cities, featuring critical analysis from Sunil Abraham on technological determinism in anti-corruption efforts and the disproportionate focus on retail-level versus systemic governance failures.
Aadhaar-Enabled Smartphones Will Ease Money Transfer
10 August 2016
An Economic Times report on government plans to integrate Aadhaar biometric authentication into smartphone operating systems for payment verification, featuring technical security concerns raised by Sunil Abraham regarding operating system interception vulnerabilities in the proposed data flow architecture.
Amazon Echo: Alexa's Recording Leak in US Echoes Privacy Issues Here
29 May 2018
An Economic Times report examining concerns raised in India after an Amazon Echo device in the US inadvertently recorded and sent a family's private conversation, with commentary from Sunil Abraham on data privacy, regulation and user rights.
Anonymous Joins Protests Against Internet Shutdown in Kashmir
12 February 2013
An Economic Times report on the hacktivist group Anonymous joining public protests against the government-imposed Internet shutdown in Kashmir following the execution of Afzal Guru, with commentary from Sunil Abraham.
Anonymous to Protest Internet Censoring in 16 Indian Cities, Threaten to Bring Down Government Websites
09 June 2012
A report from June 2012 detailing the hacktivist group Anonymous's plans to organise physical protests across India while threatening cyberattacks on government infrastructure. The article features a caution from Sunil Abraham regarding the legal risks associated with these digital forms of protest.
Apps Like Whisper and Secret Allow People to Unburden Themselves Without Revealing Names
04 June 2014
An Economic Times report examining the rise of anonymous social apps like Whisper and Secret, featuring expert analysis from Sunil Abraham on the natural evolution towards anonymity as users become more privacy-conscious after climbing the attention ladder on traditional social networks.
Apps of Political Parties Want Access to Users' Key Data
25 March 2018
An Economic Times report examining the extensive permissions sought by political party apps in India, raising concerns about privacy, data harvesting, and the opaque use of analytics tools.
Banking on Artificial Intelligence: In Hiring Drive, Bots Are Calling the Shots Now
04 June 2019
An Economic Times report on algorithmic video interview systems deployed by Axis Bank and Bajaj Allianz to screen thousands of job candidates, featuring Sunil Abraham's warning about homogenization of emotional expression and concerns over racial and neurological bias in facial recognition technology.
Bengaluru Doctors Develop Module to Study and Cure Technology Addiction
12 August 2015
An Economic Times report on a new intervention module developed at NIMHANS’ SHUT Clinic to study and treat technology addiction, with expert views including Sunil Abraham on behavioural patterns and rehabilitation approaches.
Better Intellectual Property Values Luring Indian Startups Abroad
10 April 2015
An Economic Times report examining why Indian startups are incorporating overseas and moving their intellectual property to countries like the US and Singapore, featuring expert analysis from Sunil Abraham on India's inconsistent patent jurisprudence and the impact of high transfer taxes on technology valuations.
Bouquets & Brickbats for Google's New Privacy Policy
18 October 2013
An Economic Times report analysing the mixed reactions in India to Google's updated privacy policy allowing user names, photos and endorsements to appear in advertisements.
CCI Leaves Google Searching for Answers
13 February 2018
An Economic Times analysis of the Competition Commission of India's landmark ruling imposing a ₹135.86-crore fine on Google for search bias and abuse of dominant position, featuring expert commentary from Sunil Abraham on competition law principles and NS Nappinai on regulatory precedents for technology platform accountability.
Centaur Website Reveals Guests' Personal Info
20 June 2011
An Economic Times report on a major data leak from the Centaur Hotels website, exposing sensitive identity documents of guests and raising questions of privacy, liability and IT Act compliance.
Crowdsourced Innovation for Government Projects and Services Is Easier Said Than Done
03 February 2017
An Economic Times feature on government-developer divide in India's digital payments push featuring Zainab Bawa's warning that technology is not necessarily the solution whilst developers must have their ears to the ground, Kiran Jonnalagadda's criticism that mobile app security model assumes goodwill which is shitty way to do technology, and Sunil Abraham's concern that UPI infrastructure will become monopoly in welfare-scheme transactions relevant to Aadhaar Mafia school of thought.
Cyber Security Proves a Challenge for Booming E-Commerce in India
25 June 2015
An Economic Times report examining India’s rapidly expanding e-commerce sector and the surge in data breaches, security lapses and weak regulatory mechanisms, with commentary from Sunil Abraham and other experts.
Cyber-Spying Fallout: Government May Restrict Usage of Google's Gmail for Employees
30 August 2013
An Economic Times report examining the Indian government's proposal to bar officials from using Gmail for official communication after the Snowden revelations, with commentary from Sunil Abraham on national security and transparency concerns.
Data Breach: How Will the Biggest Scandal That Facebook Is Mired in Affect Its Credibility in India?
24 March 2018
An Economic Times analysis of Facebook's Cambridge Analytica crisis implications for India's 250 million users, featuring Sunil Abraham's recommendation for quarterly permission revocations, Mishi Choudhary's critique of absent class action lawsuit frameworks, and IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad's warnings about electoral manipulation through undesirable means.
Data Localisation May Pinch Startups and Payments Firms
28 July 2018
An Economic Times report examining how India's draft Data Protection Bill and mandatory data localisation requirements could increase costs and compliance burdens for startups, payments companies and financial firms, featuring commentary from Sunil Abraham.
Daunting Task Ahead for Investigative Agencies with WhatsApp's End-to-End Encryption
08 April 2016
An Economic Times report examining the implications of WhatsApp's rollout of end-to-end encryption for over 1 billion users on law enforcement capabilities in India, featuring expert commentary from Sunil Abraham on metadata's investigative value, Prasanth Sugathan on privacy safeguards, and Arun Mohan Sukumar on data protection policy imperatives.
Demonetisation Effect: Experts Warn on Dangers of Data Getting Misused
01 December 2016
An Economic Times report examining how India's post-demonetisation shift toward digital payments raised concerns about data misuse, privacy risks, and opaque fintech practices, featuring commentary from Sunil Abraham and other experts.
Digital India: PM Modi to Launch BJP's Flagship Programme Likely in July
29 May 2015
An Economic Times report on the planned rollout of Digital India Week (DIW), detailing the Modi government's nationwide campaign, messaging strategy, gamification approach, rural outreach, and commentary from experts including Sunil Abraham.
E-Governance Hopes Rise as India Crosses 1 Billion Transactions
29 October 2013
An Economic Times report examining India's milestone of crossing one billion e-governance transactions, highlighting leading states, key digital infrastructure projects, and commentary from experts including Sunil Abraham.
EC Disables Easy Access to Electoral Data Across States
06 June 2018
An Economic Times report on the Election Commission's decision to restrict access to electoral roll data through image PDF and CAPTCHA formats following Karnataka's privacy protection measures, featuring expert analysis from Sunil Abraham on data security limitations and the need for systematic access controls.
Election Commission to Monitor Conduct of Political Parties on Facebook, Twitter and Google
25 November 2013
An Economic Times report on Election Commission's November 2013 directives to social media platforms for content monitoring during elections, featuring Sunil Abraham's constitutional critique that proactive censorship conflicts with IT Act Section 79 intermediary immunity and exceeds judicial pre-censorship powers limited to theatrical cinema, alongside IAMAI president Subho Roy's assurances against censorship attempts.
Even Without Section 66A, India Lags Behind Many Nations in Internet Regulations for Freer Speech
29 March 2015
An Economic Times analysis following Supreme Court's Section 66A strike-down featuring Sunil Abraham's assessment that India needs to move towards Scandinavian gold standard legislation, whilst Electronic Frontier Foundation's James Tyre noted court left intact Section 69A government website blocking procedure lacking judicial review or transparency, and Anja Kovacs warned surveillance allowed too liberally with Section 69A takedown decisions kept secret unacceptably.
Experts Express Concern Over FBI Director James Comey's Comments
11 December 2015
An Economic Times report examining global debates on encryption, lawful access, and surveillance, featuring expert commentary including Sunil Abraham's perspective on targeted versus mass surveillance.
FCC's Plan to Repeal Net Neutrality May Not Impact India
23 November 2017
An Economic Times report examining whether the US FCC's move to roll back net neutrality regulations would influence India's policy environment, featuring expert commentary including Sunil Abraham.
Facebook Fears Loss of Face, Takes Measures to Allay Concerns
06 July 2018
An Economic Times report examining Facebook's response to global criticism over privacy lapses, fake news circulation and regulatory scrutiny, including expert commentary from Sunil Abraham and others on the platform's responsibilities and societal impact.
Facebook India Appoints Sunil Abraham as Public Policy Director for Data and Emerging Tech
12 October 2020
An Economic Times report announcing Facebook India's appointment of Sunil Abraham as Public Policy Director for Data and Emerging Technology.
Facebook's Fake News Clean-Up Hits Language Barrier
13 April 2018
An Economic Times report analysing Facebook's challenges with combating fake news in India due to linguistic diversity, AI limitations, and scale of content moderation.
Fear of Data Misuse: Google's Privacy Policy Raises Hackles
26 January 2012
An Economic Times report examining concerns raised by Google's unified privacy policy, which aggregates user information across services, with commentary from Sunil Abraham and other experts.
Find Ways to Trace Origin of Messages: Government to WhatsApp
20 September 2018
An Economic Times report on the Indian government's demand for WhatsApp to develop technical solutions for tracing message origins following incidents of mob violence, featuring expert analysis from Sunil Abraham on metadata-based traceability approaches that could preserve encryption whilst enabling accountability.
FrndiNeed: An App for Passengers' Safety
10 December 2014
An Economic Times report examining FrndiNeed, a socially-enabled safety app designed to connect users with trusted contacts, alongside commentary from technologists including Sunil Abraham on the broader limitations of safety apps.
From Net Neutrality to IBC & Aadhaar, How Vidhi Is Framing Key Government Legislation
04 January 2018
An Economic Times profile of Vidhi Centre Legal Policy's influence on Insolvency Bankruptcy Code, Aadhaar Act, and TRAI net neutrality guidelines, featuring Sunil Abraham's assessment as pioneering field-of-one without foreign funding lending government credibility, alongside Supreme Court advocate Sanjay Hegde's conflict of interest concerns about Arghya Sengupta arguing for Aadhaar in privacy debate whilst serving on Srikrishna Data Protection Committee funded by Nandan Nilekani's wife Rohini.
Google Aims to Win 40% of India with Android One
11 September 2014
An Economic Times report on Google's Android One launch strategy in India, featuring native Hindi language support and partnerships with local manufacturers, with expert analysis from Sunil Abraham on open-source implications and the push for broader Indic computing adoption.
Google Brings Tabs to Sneak Advertisements into Your Inbox
30 July 2013
An Economic Times report examining Google's redesigned Gmail interface, which mixes promotional emails and advertisements under a single tab, raising concerns about user confusion and privacy, with commentary from Sunil Abraham.
Google's New World and Your Privacy: Why You Should Worry
29 January 2012
An Economic Times report examining the implications of Google's unified privacy policy, its cross-service data integration, and emerging concerns around user profiling, behavioural targeting and privacy norms.
Google, Facebook, Yahoo Summoned to Face Trial: What Next?
25 December 2011
An Economic Times report examining the implications of an Indian court summoning major internet platforms to face trial over allegedly hosting offensive material, with expert commentary from Sunil Abraham and others on censorship, liability and jurisdiction.
Government Goes After Porn, Makes ISPs Ban Sites Along With Image and File Hosting Sites
26 June 2013
An Economic Times report detailing the Indian government's directive to ISPs to block websites used to share pornographic content, and the concerns raised about overbroad blocking of image- and file-hosting services.
Government Making It Easier for Cyber-Criminals to Steal Your Personal Information?
03 January 2014
An Economic Times investigation revealing how various government agencies have placed vast amounts of personal information online with minimal security barriers, featuring expert commentary from Sunil Abraham and Usha Ramanathan on data protection failures and the urgent need for privacy safeguards in public databases.
Government May Tie Up With Global Police, Interpol to Fight Child Pornography
04 September 2015
An Economic Times report detailing the Indian government's consideration of partnerships with Interpol and the Internet Watch Foundation to combat child pornography, including commentary from Sunil Abraham on best practices and legal challenges.
Government Washes Hands of Google's New Privacy Policy
10 April 2012
An Economic Times report on the government's response to Google's unified privacy policy, highlighting gaps in Indian data protection law and expert commentary from Sunil Abraham and others.
Government's Stand on Internet Governance Draws Applause from Civil Society Organisations
24 June 2015
An Economic Times report on India's announcement to support the multistakeholder model for internet governance, reactions from civil society, and expert commentary (including Sunil Abraham) on implementation and accountability challenges.
Govt Should Take a Relaxed View of Violations of Flag Code in Products Sold in Foreign Countries, Experts Say
13 January 2017
An Economic Times report examining debates around India's flag code, cross-border applicability, intermediary liability, and expert views—including Sunil Abraham's—on whether punitive approaches are appropriate when products are sold abroad by foreign ecommerce platforms.
Hacking of SIM Card by Spy Agencies Raises Fears of Sensitive Documents Being Leaked
25 February 2015
An Economic Times report on NSA and GCHQ's compromise of Gemalto's encryption keys affecting Indian telecom operators, featuring Sunil Abraham's recommendations for government key management independence and Pranesh Prakash's assessment of risks to military, diplomatic and civilian communications.
How Chinese Apps Are Making Inroads in Indian Small Towns
10 August 2018
An Economic Times report on Chinese app expansion into India's tier 2 and tier 3 cities through TikTok, NewsDog, UC Browser, and Club Factory, featuring Sunil Abraham's assessment that data localisation will have definite impact on Chinese firms, whilst Ministry of Defence classified 42 apps including UC Browser, NewsDog, and ShareIt as spyware ordering Armed Forces uninstallation.
If All Goes Well, Indian IT Act May Enter 21st Century
06 October 2016
An Economic Times report on the government's plan to revamp the Information Technology Act, addressing technological changes, cybercrime, data protection gaps and expert concerns including those raised by Sunil Abraham.
Implementing Indian Languages in Feature Phones Will Be Difficult
10 August 2016
An Economic Times report on Bureau of Indian Standards' mandate requiring mobile phones to support text input in Hindi, English and one additional Indian language, featuring Sunil Abraham's proposal for government-mapped input standards and industry concerns about inventory logistics across linguistically diverse states.
InMobi Decoded: How Bangalore-Based Firm Is Taking on Google and Facebook
07 March 2014
An Economic Times profile of InMobi's rise to billion-dollar valuation through SoftBank's $200 million investment, featuring Sunil Abraham's privacy warning that business model based on collecting personal information risks mass profile leakage affecting millions unlike localized ecommerce or bank breaches, as Naveen Tewari's data company claiming deeper user behavior understanding than psychologists competed with Google and Facebook reaching 759 million mobile users.
India Must Support UN's E-snooping Move: Human Rights Activists
11 November 2013
An Economic Times report on advocacy pressure for India to co-sponsor a Brazil-Germany UN resolution condemning mass surveillance following Edward Snowden's NSA revelations, featuring Sunil Abraham's call for India to join international efforts whilst government officials acknowledge domestic Central Monitoring System vulnerabilities to scrutiny.
India Needs Norms for 5G NextGen IoT Devices, But Framing Those Won't Be Easy
31 July 2020
An Economic Times report examining India's need for data security norms for 5G-era IoT devices, featuring insights from Sunil Abraham and other experts.
India's Cyber-Security Budget 'Woefully Inadequate': Experts
28 January 2015
An Economic Times report analysing India's cyber security preparedness, budget allocations, institutional gaps, and expert commentary from Sunil Abraham and other specialists.
Indian Government Monitoring Tweets, Facebook Posts
11 August 2011
An Economic Times report examining the home ministry's directive to monitor Twitter and Facebook, raising concerns about surveillance practices and expert critiques including those by Sunil Abraham.
Lack of Clarity About Cashless and Online Transactions Makes Digital Payments More Worrisome
01 December 2016
An Economic Times report examining how demonetisation-driven digital payments raise serious privacy and data protection concerns, with insights from Sunil Abraham and other experts.
Lok Sabha Polls: Social Media Companies Launch Special Pages for Polls
10 April 2014
An Economic Times report on how global and Indian social media platforms launched specialised election features, pages and campaigns during the 2014 Lok Sabha polls, and how political advertising and voter engagement evolved online.
Maharashtra Government to Use Microsoft's Azure Cloud for Citizen Data
04 February 2015
An Economic Times report examining Maharashtra's plan to use Microsoft's Azure cloud for its digital locker pilot, the technical and privacy implications, risks of centralised storage, and expert commentary including concerns raised by Sunil Abraham.
MongoDB Startup Hired by Aadhaar Got Funds from CIA VC Arm
03 December 2013
An Economic Times investigation revealing that MongoDB, contracted by UIDAI for Aadhaar data management, received funding from In-Q-Tel, the CIA's venture capital arm, with expert analysis from Sunil Abraham on security vulnerabilities and the need for source code audits in light of Snowden revelations.
Most Emerging Firms Low on Cyber Security: Experts
24 June 2015
An Economic Times report highlighting widespread cyber security weaknesses among Indian startups and emerging firms, featuring expert commentary including Sunil Abraham on breach reporting, regulatory gaps and data protection practices.
Much at Stake for Tech Sector in UID Project
12 December 2011
An Economic Times report examining how delays and uncertainty around the UID project could affect the technology sector, including insights from Sunil Abraham and industry analysts.
Online Shaming: When Campaign Turns Slander
06 April 2015
An Economic Times Panache report examining the rise of online shaming campaigns, their social consequences, and expert commentary from Sunil Abraham, Geeta Menon, and Lawrence Liang.
PMO Changes Twitter Handle; BJP Terms It 'Unethical, Ungraceful'
21 May 2014
An Economic Times report on the controversy surrounding the outgoing Manmohan Singh PMO's decision to rename the @PMOIndia Twitter handle to @PMOIndiaArchive during the transition to Narendra Modi's government, featuring commentary from Sunil Abraham on the institutional ownership of government digital assets.
Parties Seek Social Media Influencers to Go Viral
30 March 2018
An Economic Times report on how Indian political parties increasingly rely on digital influencers to amplify messaging, shape narratives and reach young voters, with insights from Sunil Abraham on the sophistication and credibility of influencer-driven political communication.
Planning Commission, Census 2011 and India Post Using Social Media to Understand People's Pulse Better
20 September 2011
An Economic Times report on how key government bodies began using social media platforms to engage citizens, gather feedback, and shape public-facing initiatives, with insights from Sunil Abraham on privacy, governance and policy challenges.
Political Parties Turn to Tech Startups to Hit the Right Note with Voters
11 April 2018
An Economic Times report on the proliferation of voter data analytics startups servicing political parties during Karnataka's 2018 Assembly elections, featuring Sunil Abraham's analysis of legal gaps in India's data protection framework that permit commercial acquisition and political deployment of personal information without consent.
Proud Moment: Two Indians Selected for Global Commission on Internet Governance
20 March 2014
An Economic Times report announcing the selection of two Indian experts, including Sunil Abraham, to the Research Advisory Network of the Global Commission on Internet Governance (GCIG).
Security Experts Say Need to Secure Aadhaar Ecosystem, Warn About Third-Party Leaks
26 March 2018
An Economic Times report on security researchers warning that Aadhaar data leaks are occurring via third parties, the UIDAI response, and expert recommendations for creating a safer bug-reporting and disclosure environment.
Should Nandan Nilekani's Aadhaar Project, for Identity Proof and Welfare Delivery, Exist at All?
03 April 2014
An Economic Times analysis examining Aadhaar's existential challenges on the eve of 2014 elections, featuring Sunil Abraham's critique of weak demographic data linking biometrics to unverified claims, Planning Commission member Abhijit Sen's concerns about database interoperability creating surveillance infrastructure, and researcher Usha Ramanathan's observation that absence of data protection law leaves citizens vulnerable.
Slow Internet Driving You Nuts? Here Is How Your Service Provider Is Fleecing You
23 June 2016
An Economic Times investigation into Indian broadband providers' systematic underdelivery of promised speeds through high contention ratios, featuring Sunil Abraham's advocacy for mandatory disclosure requirements and Consumer Voice advisor Hemant Upadhyay's comparison of bandwidth overselling to manufacturing phantom automobiles.
Social Media Promotions Can Backfire, Too
11 November 2013
An Economic Times report examining how poorly judged social media promotions, hacked accounts, insensitive content, and automated interactions can trigger backlash, with expert commentary including Sunil Abraham on the risks of over-automation and lack of oversight.
Spending Too Much Time on Social Media? Tech Abuse May Lead to Mental Health Issues
12 October 2018
An Economic Times feature examining rising technology addiction in Bangalore, particularly online gaming and social media overuse, featuring expert analysis from Sunil Abraham on incremental screen time management and clinical insights from Nimhans on the bidirectional relationship between depression and technology use.
Srikrishna Committee Report: Draft Bill Gets Mixed Response from Experts
28 July 2018
An Economic Times report covering expert reactions to the Srikrishna Committee's draft data protection bill, including commentary by Sunil Abraham, Vrinda Bhandari, and other policy analysts.
Tamil Nadu Likely to Hold Facebook Accountable for Suicide Case
13 July 2016
A report on the Salem suicide case and the possibility of holding Facebook accountable for delayed takedown and cooperation, including comments from police officials and Sunil Abraham.
Technological Beasts Like Facebook, Orkut, YouTube & Google Impossible to Control
11 December 2011
An Economic Times feature examining Communications Minister Kapil Sibal's pre-screening proposals for social media platforms, featuring Sunil Abraham's warning about undermined legal immunity and Centre for Internet and Society research documenting intermediaries' overcompliance with takedown requests due to India's harsh liability regime.
The India Draft Bill on Data Protection Draws Inspiration from GDPR, But Has Its Limits
28 July 2018
An Economic Times report examining how the Justice Srikrishna Committee's draft data protection law borrows from the European Union's GDPR while falling short on individual rights, localisation rules, and enforcement structures, with analysis from Sunil Abraham and legal experts.
The Perils of Not Protecting Intellectual Property for New Ventures
20 March 2015
An Economic Times feature examining Indian startups' intellectual property dilemmas, featuring Sunil Abraham's warning that competition will exploit IP vulnerabilities when businesses accumulate market share and cash reserves, and Centre for Internet and Society research showing only 20% of 93 surveyed mobile app developers acquired patents despite software patent exclusions under Indian Patents Act 1970.
The Soon-to-Be Launched Aadhaar Pay Will Let You Make Purchases Using Your Fingerprint
15 January 2017
An Economic Times report on UIDAI's planned rollout of Aadhaar Pay, a biometric payment system enabling merchant transactions through fingerprint authentication, featuring critical analysis from Sunil Abraham on security vulnerabilities and authentication risks inherent in biometric-based payment systems.
Twitter Handle: How and Why Govt Erred and What It Can Do to Be Smarter & More Effective
26 August 2012
An Economic Times analysis examining the Indian government's response to communal violence-driven social media rumours in August 2012, featuring Sunil Abraham's critique of opaque blocking procedures and advocacy for transparent hate speech regulation, alongside recommendations from Nitin Pai and GK Pillai on proactive engagement strategies versus reactive censorship.
UID: Are Your Biometric I-Cards Stacked Against You?
24 June 2012
An Economic Times investigation of biometric proliferation risks as UIDAI, NPR, banks, RSBY, and state departments create myriad databases, featuring Sunil Abraham's warning that criminals can harvest fingerprints from glass without conscious cooperation whilst registrars cache biometrics to duplicate transactions, and Usha Ramanathan's assessment that intimate personal data can be stolen but cannot be replaced, necessitating stringent legal protection absent in India's 2012 biometric rush.
UIDAI Introduces New Two-Layer Security System to Improve Aadhaar Privacy
11 January 2018
An Economic Times report on UIDAI's introduction of Virtual ID and token-based authentication as security upgrades to the Aadhaar system, featuring critical commentary from Sunil Abraham on the insufficiency of these measures without complete revocation of existing Aadhaar seeding across databases.
What Is Net Neutrality and Why It Is Important
13 April 2015
A clear explainer on net neutrality: what it means, why it shaped the internet, the risks if it disappears, and the state of play in India.
WhatsApp Races Against Time to Fix Fake News Mess Ahead of 2019 General Elections
24 July 2018
An Economic Times investigation of WhatsApp's fake news crisis before 2019 elections featuring MeitY demanding traceability and accountability in end-to-end encryption threatening platform's privacy commitment, Rahul Matthan's warning that it is practically impossible for WhatsApp to regulate content in peer-to-peer encrypted environment whilst government tends to err on violating civil liberties, and Sunil Abraham's proposal for fact check this button enabling users to upload content to fact-checking database with scores displayed immediately.
Withdraw Instruction to Make Aadhaar Mandatory: Supreme Court to Centre
25 March 2014
An Economic Times report on the Supreme Court's dual ruling ordering withdrawal of mandatory Aadhaar requirements for government services whilst prohibiting UIDAI from sharing biometric data with law enforcement, featuring Sunil Abraham's endorsement of the court's human rights stance and Justice Chelameshwar's directive citing violations of earlier orders.
World Wide Web Facing Threat from Tech Companies Seeking to Play Gatekeepers
13 May 2012
An Economic Times analysis examining dual threats to the open web from governmental regulation and corporate app store ecosystems, featuring Sunil Abraham's observation about governments' accelerated control efforts following Arab Spring uprisings and Tim Berners-Lee's warning about walled gardens stifling innovation.