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.
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.
Predators Have Used Roblox to Groom Children for Sexual Abuse
The Roblox gaming platform, widely used by children under 13 and estimated to have tens of millions of users in India, has come under increasing legal and regulatory scrutiny following documented cases in which its social features have been used by predators to groom children for sexual abuse. Children and parents in India, one of Roblox’s fastest growing markets, need to take note and act to protect themselves.
What Actually Works in Today’s Job Market? A Guide for Young Professionals
A software engineer, Marmik Patel, applied to hundreds of jobs without success before changing his approach. By building products and networking in person, he eventually drew interest from over 80 recruiters, he shared on X. Does this suggest that traditional methods like mass online applications are no longer effective in competitive markets where access to opportunity is unevenly distributed?
Algorithms Now Decide Wages, Work, Punishment in India’s App Economy
A new study on gig workers employed through digital platforms has found that app-based companies are using algorithms to make decisions about pay, work assignments and punishment without offering any explanation or way to appeal. The system deprives workers of basic rights, treats them as disposable and creates conditions that must be called out as unjust and dangerous.
Should the Government Be Allowed to Track Our Location Without Consent?
The central government is weighing a proposal to require smartphone manufacturers to keep satellite-based location tracking permanently active on all devices sold in the country. This would allow law enforcement and investigative agencies to access our precise, real-time location data, a step no other country has taken so far.
Your WhatsApp and Telegram Will Soon Lock Without Active SIM
The government has announced a sweeping rule that will affect how you use apps like WhatsApp, Telegram, Signal and others. These apps will stop working the moment you remove your SIM card, switch phones, or try to access them on a second device without the SIM. The rule gives the government the power to link all your communication activity to your physical identity and location at all times, with no clear safeguards.
How AI Is Changing Work Habits, Aspirations Among Young Indian Employees
The Indian workplace is undergoing a major psychological and structural reset, and artificial intelligence is at the heart of it. A new study shows that employees now use AI not only to work more efficiently, but also as a daily companion, career guide and thinking partner. This is especially true for younger professionals who are redefining what success, identity and purpose mean in their careers.
Govt Limits Who Can Issue Internet Takedown Orders, But Questions Remain
The central government has restricted the number of officials authorised to order the removal of online content from social media platforms and websites, departing from its earlier policy that allowed thousands of officers to issue such directions. While the change appears to promote accountability, it leaves unresolved the concern that a government-run effort to combat “misinformation” could also silence legitimate reporting, commentary and political critique.
Inside India’s Hidden Digital Market of Incest, Child Porn, Misogyny
On Sept. 10, an Instagram conversation with a young boy led me into a disturbing digital ecosystem where violent sexual content circulates freely. I now fear that a generation of boys may grow up normalising harmful sexual behaviour and misogyny.
Are Nepal’s Leaders Blocking Social Media to Contain Rising Political Rivals?
Nepal’s government has ordered a nationwide shutdown of 26 social media platforms. The move appears aimed at suppressing independent political voices who have demonstrated credible governance and built popular support by engaging directly with citizens online, outside the control of established party structures.
Europe Sets Limits on Artificial Intelligence; India Can’t Afford to Wait
The European Union has decided to go ahead with its Artificial Intelligence Act on time, rejecting requests from some tech companies to delay it. This new law is meant to keep AI under control and protect people’s rights, safety and democracy. Countries in Asia, especially India, need to take this seriously. If they wait too long, AI systems might become common in daily life without any rules, and that can cause irreparable harm.
What Students, Professionals Need to Do When AI Changes the Rules
A recently released AI Index 2025 by Stanford University presents evidence that many AI systems now perform better than average human scores in several professional tasks. These systems are already influencing how decisions are made and how work gets done. Students and professionals, therefore, need to understand what this developing situation demands and how to respond to stay effective and relevant.
Is Nepal Criminalising Dissent in the Name of Digital Regulation?
A bill tabled earlier this year in Nepal’s National Assembly to regulate social media platforms remains pending—thankfully so, as it follows a growing trend across South Asia where governments use legislation to enable surveillance, criminalise criticism and consolidate power. What’s needed is for Nepal’s lawmakers to either annul the bill or amend it substantially. In its current form, its vague language and punitive clauses pose a direct threat to democratic freedoms.
US Raises Voting System Concerns, India Defends Its EVMs
Tulsi Gabbard, the Director of National Intelligence in the United States, has raised concerns about the vulnerability of electronic voting systems (EVS) in the country. Her remarks have, interestingly, prompted India’s Election Commission (ECI) to issue a statement reaffirming the integrity of its own electronic voting machines (EVMs).
Startup Founder Blames Bad Governance for India’s Innovation Failures
A semiconductor entrepreneur has written an open letter to Piyush Goyal, Union Minister of Commerce and Industry, in response to his criticism of Indian startups for focusing on food delivery, betting, and fantasy sports platforms instead of high-tech sectors such as semiconductors and artificial intelligence. The founder argues that it is the government’s systemic inefficiencies that pose the real barrier to innovation in deep-tech industries.
Indian Govt. Censored Criticism of Union Ministers, Claims X
The central government issued 66 takedown notices to X (formerly Twitter) over the past year, with one-third targeting content critical of Union Ministers and government agencies, according to The Hindu, whose report is based on an analysis of court documents from a lawsuit filed by X challenging the government’s actions in the Karnataka High Court.
Musk’s X Challenges Indian Government’s Censorship in Court
Elon Musk’s social media platform, X (formerly Twitter), has filed a lawsuit against the Indian government, alleging that the country’s IT Ministry has overstepped its legal authority by unlawfully expanding censorship powers. The legal dispute centres around new mechanisms introduced by the Indian government that, according to X, allow for more widespread and unregulated content removal from online platforms.
Court Says Social Media Users Must Be Heard Before Blocking Posts
The Supreme Court has sought a response from the central government regarding a petition challenging the practice of taking down social media posts without prior notice or a fair hearing for the content creator. The petition, filed by the Software Freedom Law Centre (SFLC), argues that this practice violates principles of natural justice and the right to free speech under Article 19(1)(a) of the Constitution.
Why Indian Media Organisations Are Suing Open AI
Leading Indian news outlets want to join a lawsuit against OpenAI, claiming it used their copyrighted content without authorisation to train ChatGPT. They are seeking damages and a legal directive to stop the alleged misuse of their material.