C-DOT named as an 'Enemy Of The Internet'
France-based non-profit organisation, Reporters Without Boundaries' report for 2014, titled, 'Enemies Of The Internet', is critical of the Indian Govt's mass electronic surveillance & data mining system

France-based non-profit organisation, Reporters Without Boundaries, has included Government-owned technology development centre, Centre for Development of Telematics (C-DOT) in its 2014 ‘Enemies Of The Internet’ report.
According to the report, three of the government bodies designated as Enemies of the Internet are located in democracies that have traditionally claimed to respect fundamental freedoms – the Centre for Development of Telematics in India, the Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ) in the UK, and the National Security Agency (NSA) in the US, calling them “no better than their Chinese, Russian, Iranian or Bahraini counterparts”.
The ‘Enemies Of The Internet’ report is critical of the Indian Government’s mass electronic surveillance and data mining system, now known as Central Monitoring System (CMS), which was created by C-DOT and started rolling out in 2013. The report states, “The fact that a surveillance system of that magnitude can be established is due to the absence of a legal protection of privacy and personal data.” The Government’s justification has always been that the system is required for maintaining the security of the country against terrorist threats.
Reporters Without Boundaries, in the report, also expressed concern over sections of the IT Act of 2000 as well as the amendments made to it in 2008 and 2011. In fact, objections to some of these clauses have been raised by privacy rights advocates and concerned citizens in India over the years too. One of these includes the amendment to Section 66A, which empowers the Government to imprison a person up to three years with a fine for sharing information, which is “grossly offensive or of menacing character” online. It can be recalled that in 2013, two girls from Palghar, Maharashtra were arrested for violating this law after one of them posted a message on Facebook questioning the shutdown of Mumbai after the death of a political leader. Reporters Without Boundaries singled out this clause for particular criticism, stating, “The use of vague definitions allows great latitude for officials who are targeting web users, effectively authorizing arbitrary practices.”
The C-DOT was formed in 1984 with a mandate to develop telecommunication technology solutions. However, after the Mumbai terrorist attacks in 2008, C-DOT was involved in creating electronic monitoring and surveillance systems for the Government, including the CMS. The CMS project, which was initiated without Parliamentary approval, has been seen as controversial and against the democratic and privacy rights of individuals. Concerns have also been raised over the potential abuse of the system, which tracks online activities, phone calls, text messages and social media conversations.
The ‘Enemies Of The Internet’ is an annual report which focuses on policies and agencies, both government and private, which Reporters Without Boundaries perceives as a deterrent to freedom of expression or the spread of information on the internet.
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e4m Digital Marketing Leaders Awards: Inaugural edition on June 9
The awards recognize and honour digital marketing leaders for their impactful strategies, campaigns and innovations
By exchange4media Staff | Jun 8, 2023 8:51 AM | 1 min read
Digital marketing leaders play a crucial role in shaping the industry and driving innovation. Their expertise, insights, strategies and vision help others advance their knowledge and understanding of digital marketing practices. These leaders inspire the next generation of marketers and help the industry grow.
With an aim to honour the great minds in the digital marketing sphere, the exchange4media Group is hosting the first edition of the e4m Digital Marketing Leaders Awards on June 9 in Mumbai. The awards night will celebrate and acknowledge the stars of the domain in India and witness the coming together of some of the best brands, individuals and agencies. Spotify Advertising is the Celebratory Partner of the event while Lemma is the Networking Partner.
e4m Digital Marketing Leaders Awards acknowledges the great leaders who have developed & implemented successful digital strategies, campaigns, and innovations by leveraging new technologies for digital marketing. The awards aim to inspire leaders to stay ahead of the curve and unlock their full potential as digital marketers by felicitating pioneers in the digital marketing sphere.
The star-studded awards night is a perfect opportunity to network with the best and brightest minds from the digital marketing ecosystem, expand knowledge and get an overview of the functioning of several digital marketing agencies.
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NDTV & Gadgets 360 sign Gaurav Chaudhary as face of their technology content
He will be presenting two weekly technology shows
By exchange4media Staff | Jun 7, 2023 4:14 PM | 3 min read
NDTV and Gadgets360.com (an NDTV Venture), today announced Gaurav Chaudhary aka Technical Guruji as the new face of their technology vertical. To begin with, NDTV and Technical Guruji are coming together to present two weekly technology shows – ‘Gadgets 360 with Technical Guruji’ and ‘Tech with TG’.
The marquee shows are scheduled to go live on Saturday, June 10th on both NDTV 24x7 and NDTV India. Along with this, he will exclusively be present on NDTV’s digital platform gadgets360.com.
Gaurav Chaudhary aka Technical Guruji, is a tech influencer. He will be joining NDTV as the face of their technology content, bringing his expertise, passion, and unique perspective to the media giant's technology news coverage.
On the announcement, Senthil Chengalvarayan, Executive Director NDTV Networks said, “NDTV has been a forerunner in innovative and path-breaking shows that bring great insights into the ever-evolving world of technology. It’s our pleasure to have Gaurav – the renowned and affable Technical Guruji – on board, as part of the NDTV family. We are confident that his expertise, ability to connect with a wider set of audiences, and unique presentation style of such a vast subject will enhance our offering and reinforce our position as a leader in this important genre. Technology is not only part of our daily lives but also an empowering tool for the masses and in this respect, Technical Guruji, Gaurav will bring out the latest, most effective aspects of technology in a format that the masses will be able to relate.”
On the announcement, Vaibhav Sehgal, CEO, Gadgets360.com (Red Pixels Ventures Limited), said, "The amalgamation of the world’s most popular tech influencer with one of the world’s most frequented and credible tech news portal and the pioneers in TV tech programming, is going to change the world of technology forever. Gaurav’s inclusion into the NDTV and Gadgets360 family marks an exciting chapter for us. His immense social-media presence, expertise in simplifying complex tech concepts, and his personality, have made him a household name. His presence will add impetus to our commitment to deliver high-quality & cutting-edge tech content so that we will be at the forefront of delivering the best to our visitors, audience, and readers making sure that we continue to be the go-to hub for technology and gadget enthusiasts.”
Gaurav Chaudhary aka Technical Guruji said, “I am honored to be a part of the NDTV family. My passion for technology has found another credible platform with which I can reach out to the deepest roots of India, making it more simplified for the masses. I am truly thrilled and believe my presence at NDTV and Gadgets 360 will act as a catalyst for change in the technology space, taking it to new horizons. I’m thankful to all my viewers and subscribers, it’s because of their belief in me that I have reached these new heights. I am excited for this new journey, Chaliye Shuru Karte hain!”
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Twitter ropes in NBCUniversal's Joe Benarroch
Benarroch was associated with NBCU for nearly 5 years
By exchange4media Staff | Jun 6, 2023 11:17 AM | 1 min read
Twitter has roped in NBCUniversal's Joe Benarroch to lead business operations.
Linda Yaccarino, the new CEO of Twitter, was also with NBCUniversal earlier as the head of advertising.
Joe was with NBCU for nearly 5 years.
He was earlier with Facebook for almost 7 years and prior to that with IPG.
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Twitter ad sales down 59%, fails to meet sales projections
An international publication has accessed internal documents that pointed to Twitter's crisis in ad revenue, which stands at $88 million for the five weeks between April 1 and early May
By exchange4media Staff | Jun 6, 2023 9:06 AM | 2 min read
Microblogging platform Twitter owned by Elon Musk has been beleaguered by falling advertising revenues, according to a report by an international publication. The platform’s US ad revenue has plummeted by 59% from last year to $88 million for the five weeks between April 1 and early May this year. This is despite Musk’s assertion that almost all advertisers have come back to the platform and Twitter’s profits may be looking up.
The publication cited an internal presentation, which also stated that the company has regularly fallen short of its US weekly sales projections sometimes as much as 30%.
The report also claimed that the performance is unlikely to improve anytime soon, citing documents and Twitter employees’ statements.
Ever since Musk took over the microblogging platform, Twitter has been projected as a free-speech bastion that aimed to break free from its alleged targeting of conservative voices.
However, concerns about hate speech and pornography also rose and companies started distancing themselves from the platform for fear of bad optics. Ads for online gambling and cannabis on the platform further drove the advertisers away.
Apple, Amazon and Disney, who were some of Twitter’s biggest advertisers, have cut down their ad spends on the platform. The report also said that the banner ads that sell for $500,000 for a single day have been going unfulfilled.
Former NBCUniversal exec Linda Yaccarino took over as Twitter CEO in May and will have her work cut out for her to drive more advertising revenue to the platform.
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Barkha Dutt says “We are finally back” after YouTube restores Mojo Story
This comes after the Mojo Story videos were deleted by hackers earlier
By exchange4media Staff | Jun 5, 2023 8:20 PM | 1 min read
After the YouTube channel of Mojo Story was hacked earlier, Barkha Dutt shared a new video on Twitter saying that the deleted content has been restored by YouTube.
“Felt violated & cried a lot but thanks to @TeamYouTube, we are finally back”, she Tweeted.
In a tweet last night, Dutt said that Mojo Story’s email and YouTube channel were hacked and she and her team were unable to access the platform.
“After hours of urging @TeamYouTube to act & being assured action is being taken, I woke up to find @themojostory channel content ALL DELETED by the hackers- four years of blood, toil, sweat, tears, 11 thousand videos, COVID work of 3 years, ALL GONE. I am heartbroken, ” she Tweeted.
She further wrote, “ I don't know how many times we urged @YouTube to freeze the platform so that the hackers could not alter it. But we kept being told "process of investigation has to be followed" - and now its gone.”
The hackers had renamed the news platform’s YouTube account as “@teslanewstar05” and deleted all videos. A video featuring billionaire Elon Musk was also uploaded.
The incident triggered a wave of anger and disappointment on Twitter, with journalists, politicians, lawyers, and viewers of Mojo Story expressing their frustration. Many called on YouTube to rectify the situation and restore the channel.
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11 TVF shows on IMDb’s top 50 list
The IMDb list includes most popular Indian web series of all time
By exchange4media Staff | Jun 5, 2023 10:16 AM | 1 min read
IMDb has released a list of the most popular Indian web series of all time.
Among the 50 shows, 11 of them have been backed by The Viral Fever (TVF).
Moreover, according to TVF, seven of these web series have completed three seasons or more.
The rankings have been determined by the page views of IMDb customers in India between January 1, 2018 to May 10, 2023, IMDb has said.
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Hackers delete Barkha Dutt’s YouTube channel Mojo Story
Four years of blood, toil, sweat, tears, 11000 videos, COVID work of 3 years, ALL GONE, tweeted Dutt
By exchange4media Staff | Jun 5, 2023 9:47 AM | 1 min read
The YouTube channel of Mojo Story, which is run by Sr Journalist Barkha Dutt, has been hacked. The hackers have deleted the entire content from her YouTube Channel.
In a tweet, Dutt said that Mojo Story’s email and YouTube channel were hacked and she and her team were unable to access the platform.
“After hours of urging @TeamYouTube to act & being assured action is being taken, I woke up to find @themojostory channel content ALL DELETED by the hackers- four years of blood, toil, sweat, tears, 11 thousand videos, COVID work of 3 years, ALL GONE. I am heartbroken, ” she Tweeted.
She further wrote, “ I don't know how many times we urged @YouTube to freeze the platform so that the hackers could not alter it. But we kept being told "process of investigation has to be followed" - and now its gone.”
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