A Telegram Bot Is Selling Indians’ Personal Data for ₹2.50 Per Search

A Telegram Bot Is Selling Indians’ Personal Data for ₹2.50 Per Search

Twenty-three-year-old Maryam Siddiqui (name changed) was trying to leave her family, where she said she had been facing harassment from an extended family member. She left her home in a small town in Bihar and travelled to Patna without informing her parents. After searching for her for ten days and filing a police complaint, her family was advised by a friend to use a bot that illegally tracks a person’s exact location, provides detailed coordinates and reveals sensitive personal information.

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For India’s Informal Workers, Heatwaves Expose the Limits of the Labour Codes

For India’s Informal Workers, Heatwaves Expose the Limits of the Labour Codes

Summers in much of India have always been tough, but what is happening now is far more severe. It is a public health emergency unfolding under the guise of a weather event. In recent years, temperatures have remained above 40°C for days at a stretch, leading to tens of thousands of suspected heatstroke cases across the country. And those who face the greatest risk are workers in the informal sector, who spend long hours outdoors and continue to lack strong, enforceable protections against extreme heat under India’s labour framework.

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AI Is Becoming a Therapist for Millions; the Consequences Could Be Serious

AI Is Becoming a Therapist for Millions; the Consequences Could Be Serious

It often starts in the same way. Someone is feeling anxious, lonely or emotionally overwhelmed and reaches for their phone, not to call a friend but to open an app instead. They type out their feelings to a system that responds with warmth and understanding, using language that makes them feel listened to. And for a moment, they feel heard and comforted. However, relying on artificial intelligence for emotional support or psychotherapy may carry psychological risks that many users barely recognise.

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Muslim Gig Workers: His Name Was Bad for Business, So He Buried It
NB, News Briefings, May 2026 Asad Ashraf NB, News Briefings, May 2026 Asad Ashraf

Muslim Gig Workers: His Name Was Bad for Business, So He Buried It

There is a specific kind of humiliation that disguises itself as practicality. Gig workers, especially Muslims, have been changing their names on professional apps, not for amusement, but because their real names cost them customers. The decision has become larger than a personal adjustment, pointing to a larger social reality hidden behind these choices. I have come across this issue at least three times in recent months.

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