Regulating the Internet: The Government of India and Standards Development at the IETF

Regulating the Internet: The Government of India and Standards Development at the IETF is a detailed policy brief authored by Aayush Rathi, Gurshabad Grover, and Sunil Abraham, published by the Centre for Internet and Society (CIS), India, in November 2018 (updated December 2018).

The report investigates how technical standards bodies such as the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) operate as regulatory regimes shaping the Internet, and analyses the Indian government’s limited participation in these critical spaces. Using the global debate around Transport Layer Security (TLS) 1.3 as a case study, it examines the intersection between technological design, public policy, and national security.

Publication Details
Abstract
Context and Background
Key Themes or Findings
Full Text
Citation

Publication Details

👤 Authors:: Aayush Rathi, Gurshabad Grover, and Sunil Abraham
🏛️ Published by:: The Centre for Internet and Society (CIS)
📅 Date:: December 2018 (updated version)
📘 Type:: Policy Brief / Internet Governance Research
📄 Access:: Download PDF

Abstract

This policy brief explores the institution of open Internet standards as a form of global regulation, highlighting how seemingly technical processes within standards development organisations (SDOs) can have profound policy and security consequences. It reviews India’s role and participation at the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF), focusing on the Transport Layer Security (TLS) 1.3 protocol debate as a case study.

The authors argue that despite growing recognition of the strategic importance of technical standards, Indian participation at the IETF remains limited and fragmented. The brief calls for structured and sustained governmental engagement — particularly by agencies concerned with cybersecurity, intelligence, and defence — to ensure that national interests, privacy, and innovation remain balanced in global Internet governance.

Context and Background

The Internet’s governance has long oscillated between visions of self-regulation and state involvement. While early thinkers imagined cyberspace as autonomous from state control, the evolution of the Internet into a space for commerce, communication, and geopolitics has drawn governments back into the arena of technical standardisation.

Standards Development Organisations (SDOs) such as the IETF, ISO, W3C, ITU, and 3GPP now play a crucial role in defining the interoperability and security of Internet technologies. These bodies are not immune to political or corporate influence. The report recalls how Microsoft’s controversial OOXML standard was fast-tracked through ISO despite opposition from national bodies, including the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS).

At the same time, security agencies in the United States and United Kingdom have sought to shape encryption standards, such as through the NSA’s involvement in the compromised Dual EC DRBG algorithm. Against this backdrop, the authors highlight the necessity of meaningful Indian participation in global standards development — both to secure national infrastructure and to assert India’s voice in the digital policymaking sphere.

Key Themes or Findings

Technical Standards as Governance: Open standards bodies, especially the IETF, exercise a regulatory influence on the Internet through code and protocols, functioning as de facto policymakers.
The TLS 1.3 Case Study: The report traces the four-year IETF debate over TLS 1.3 — a new encryption standard enhancing privacy by encrypting handshake data and enforcing perfect forward secrecy. While the standard improves global cybersecurity, it also challenges domestic surveillance and regulatory compliance frameworks.
India’s Limited Engagement: Despite MeitY’s efforts to build capacity for participation (through scholarships, IIREF, and roundtables), India’s presence in IETF working groups has been minimal. Only sporadic attendance by government officials has been recorded.
Divergent Domestic Interests: Different ministries — such as MeitY, the Department of Telecommunications, and intelligence agencies — hold conflicting positions regarding encryption. The brief shows how stronger encryption standards like TLS 1.3 simultaneously bolster national security (against foreign surveillance) and hinder lawful interception.
Policy Coordination Deficit: The study calls for harmonising the work of MeitY, BIS, NIXI, and national security institutions to establish a coherent approach towards international Internet governance and standards participation.
Recommendations:
- Institutionalise and fund long-term Indian representation in major SDOs (IETF, ITU-T, 3GPP, W3C, ICANN).
- Involve diverse stakeholders — including academia, civil society, defence, and telecom industry — in standards discussions.
- Recognise standards-making as a geopolitical opportunity, ensuring India’s technological sovereignty and digital independence.

Full Text

If you wish to reference or cite this publication, you may use one of the following formats.

📄 Download Full Report (PDF)

Citation

If you wish to reference or cite this publication, you may use one of the following formats.

APA

Rathi, A., Grover, G., & Abraham, S. (2018). 
  Regulating the Internet: The Government of India and Standards Development at the IETF. 
  The Centre for Internet and Society (CIS). 
  https://sunilabraham.in/publications/regulating-the-internet-india-ietf/

BibTeX

@report{rathi2018ietf,
  author = {Rathi, Aayush and Grover, Gurshabad and Abraham, Sunil},
  title = {Regulating the Internet: The Government of India and Standards Development at the IETF},
  institution = {The Centre for Internet and Society (CIS)},
  year = {2018},
  url = {https://sunilabraham.in/publications/regulating-the-internet-india-ietf/}
}

MLA

Rathi, Aayush, Gurshabad Grover, and Sunil Abraham. 
  "Regulating the Internet: The Government of India and Standards Development at the IETF." 
  The Centre for Internet and Society (CIS), 2018. 
  https://sunilabraham.in/publications/regulating-the-internet-india-ietf/