Viswanathan K's Thoughts

In the beginning of this year, triggered by the terrorist attack on Charlie Hebdo in Paris, I wrote a lot about freedom of speech. Here , here and here . I also criticized India’s stance on freedom of speech . So you can imagine how happy I am to find that the government lifted its ban on (most of) the 850 web sites that had been banned just a short while back because they were classified as porn. This site made a snide remark on the retraction : “Politicians learn the hard way that you can't get between the voters and their preferred recreational activity.” But that’s simply not true for India: it’s mostly urban folks who surf the Net in India and no politician in India cares about them and no decisions are ever made based on such people or their views. No, I am happy not because I get to watch porn but because of the reasons due to which so many Indians protested against the ban. I fully agree with the reasons cited in this Deccan Herald editorial : “Issues o...

Recently, Google alerted the authorities when its algorithms detected that a Gmail user was transmitting child pornography images. The cops then went on to arrest the man. A good thing, no doubt. But it makes one wonder how Google found the image? Are they opening every attachment in every mail? Don’t worry, it’s nothing that invasive. They use an algorithm created by (hold your breath) Microsoft! “Google makes use of Microsoft's PhotoDNA technology to scan emails, and calculate a mathematical hash for an image of child sexual abuse that allows it to recognize photos automatically even if they have been altered. The tech is now also used by both Twitter and Facebook, after Microsoft donated it to the NCMEC in 2009.”` But is this a slippery slope, wonder others? John Hawes, cyber security consultant asks: “There will of course be some who see it as yet another sign of how the twin Big Brothers of state agencies and corporate behemoths have nothing better to do than delve in...