Apar Gupta
Apar Gupta | |
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Born | 28 February 1984 |
Nationality | New Delhi, India |
Alma mater | Amity Law School, Columbia Law School |
Occupation(s) | Lawyer, Writer |
Awards | Ashoka Fellowship |
Apar Gupta is a lawyer and writer on democracy and technology from India.[1] In 2019 he was elected as an Ashoka Fellow for, "creating a model for digital rights advocacy in the country that is driven by the public, for the public," as the co-founder of the Internet Freedom Foundation.[2]
Education
[edit]Gupta was born and raised in New Delhi, India. He attended Mount St Mary's School, obtained his B.A. (LLB) (Hons) degree from Amity Law School, and a postgraduate degree from the Columbia University School of Law.[3]
Law Practice
[edit]Gupta started out as a commercial litigator in the law firm of Karanjawala & Co., later merged his own firm Accendo Law Partners with Advani & Co. in 2010.[4] He was included in the Forbes India 30 under 30 list in 2014.[5]
Gupta resigned in 2015 to start his own law chamber[6] where he was a lawyer in notable civil liberties and constitutional cases that have digital or technology issues including Shreya Singhal v. Union of India (Section 66A),[7] Subramanium Swamy v. Union of India (criminal defamation),[8] Gaurav Sureshbhai Vyas v. State of Gujarat (Internet Shutdowns),[9] Justice Puttaswamy v. Union of India (Right to Privacy[10] and Aadhaar[11]), PUCL v. Union of India (Surveillance Reforms),[12] and Anuradha Bhasin v. Union of India (Internet Shutdowns).[13]
He has represented the India Chapter of Friday's for Future when their website was blocked under terrorism charges.[14]
Digital Rights Advocacy
[edit]He is a co-founder of the SaveTheInternet.in campaign on net neutrality[15] and SaveOurPrivacy.in campaign for data protection and surveillance reforms.[16] After his work on the Section 66A case,[17] he co-authored a study to document compliance with the judgement to discover ongoing cases which continued unconstitutionally against the Supreme Court judgement. This was called, "shocking" by the Supreme Court.[18]
Gupta is the co-founder of the Internet Freedom Foundation (IFF) and was appointed its first executive director from 2018[19] till April, 2023.[20] For his work at IFF he was awarded the Ashoka Fellowship in 2019[21] and the Next Now Fellowship.[22] Gupta also filed a case as a petitioner against the Ministry of Home Affairs for disclosure of statistical data on surveillance in India.[23] He has deposed before a parliamentary committee on the DNA Bill[24] and before a commission inquiring into the use of Pegasus.[25]
On May 31, 2023, he presented Item #7 at the Annual meeting of shareholders of META Platforms[26] titled as, "Shareholder Proposal Regarding Report on Allegations of Political Entanglement and Content Management Biases in India"[27] that was defeated with 5% votes in its favour.[28]
Writing and Lectures
[edit]Gupta authored the Commentary on the Information Technology Act which is published by LexisNexis.[29] He writes regularly on digital and democratic rights in leading newspapers and is quoted as an expert in India.[30] Gupta is published in reviewed journals like the Indian Journal of Law and Technology, Seminar and the India International Center Quarterly.[31] He has delivered the 11th Krishna Raj Memorial Lecture[32] at the 37th Annual Dr. Ramanatham Memorial Meeting (with Jinee Lokaneeta) and also started a youtube channel - Apar 1984 to take forward the discourse on digital policy.[33]
Awards and recognition
[edit]- Forbes India : 30 under 30 (2014)[34]
- Ashoka Fellowship (2019)[35]
- Agami Shamnad Basheer Citizenship Prize : Special Mention (2020)[36]
- ROW 100 : Global Tech's Changemakers (2022)[37]
See also
[edit]- Articles by Apar Gupta
- The Seen and the Unseen : Apar Gupta Fights the Good Fight
- 1984 by Apar Gupta
References
[edit]- ^ "Rhodes scholar to Carnatic singer, meet 4 young lawyers in privacy fight". The Indian Express. 7 August 2017. Retrieved 28 April 2022.
- ^ "Apar Gupta | Ashoka | Everyone a Changemaker". www.ashoka.org. Retrieved 25 May 2022.
- ^ "India's Justice League: Young Guns Behind The Right to Privacy Win". thequint.com. The Quint. 24 August 2017. Retrieved 8 July 2020.
- ^ Chauhan, Neha. "Bombay's Advani & Co merges with Delhi start-up Accendo, aims for multiple best friends". www.legallyindia.com. Retrieved 28 April 2022.
- ^ "Forbes India - Apar Gupta: Emerging Voice In Media Laws". Forbes India. Retrieved 28 April 2022.
- ^ Saluja, Pallavi (10 March 2015). "Advani & Co Partner, Forbes India's 30 under 30 Apar Gupta resigns to go independent". Bar and Bench - Indian Legal news. Retrieved 28 April 2022.
- ^ Shrivastava, Prachi (30 March 2015). "Behind the scenes of the fight against Section 66A". mint. Retrieved 28 April 2022.
- ^ Shrivastava, Prachi. "5 lawyers, 10+ hacks file SC criminal defamation & journo rights challenge wider than Swamy's [READ ORDER]". www.legallyindia.com. Retrieved 28 April 2022.
- ^ Rautray, Samanwaya. "State, DM can ban mobile internet to maintain law: Supreme Court". The Economic Times. Retrieved 25 May 2022.
- ^ "Rhodes scholar to Carnatic singer, meet 4 young lawyers in privacy fight". The Indian Express. 7 August 2017. Retrieved 28 April 2022.
- ^ "Message from a verdict". The Indian Express. 28 September 2018. Retrieved 28 April 2022.
- ^ "Going Beyond Telephone tapping to Electronic Communication Surveillance: What are the safeguards for citizens? | PUCL". www.pucl.org. Archived from the original on 4 April 2023. Retrieved 28 April 2022.
- ^ "Supreme Court Hears PIL on Restoration of 4G Internet in J&K". 9 April 2020. Retrieved 28 April 2022.
- ^ "Citing Anti-Terror Law, Delhi Police Block Global Youth Climate Activism Website". The Wire. Retrieved 28 April 2022.
- ^ Mishra, Ashish K. (9 May 2015). "India's Net neutrality crusaders". mint. Retrieved 28 April 2022.
- ^ "Citizens' draft law on data privacy to be unveiled today". The Indian Express. 8 June 2018. Retrieved 28 April 2022.
- ^ "Outside The Frame | Pragya Singh". 1 July 2014. Archived from the original on 1 July 2014. Retrieved 25 May 2022.
- ^ ""Shocking": Supreme Court Notice To Centre On Cases Under Scrapped Law". NDTV.com. Retrieved 25 May 2022.
- ^ "Looking towards the future". Internet Freedom Foundation. 27 September 2018. Retrieved 28 April 2022.
- ^ "Transitions and achieving our true potential". Internet Freedom Foundation. 18 July 2023. Retrieved 7 November 2023.
- ^ Bench, Bar & (15 February 2020). "Apar Gupta wins Ashoka Fellowship for work with Internet Freedom Foundation". Bar and Bench - Indian Legal news. Retrieved 28 April 2022.
- ^ "Apar Gupta | Next Now". www.next-now.org. Retrieved 28 April 2022.
- ^ "Delhi HC seeks Centre's stand on statistical information on e-surveillance". Business Today. 5 April 2022. Retrieved 28 April 2022.
- ^ "Rajya Sabha, Report on DNA Technology (Use And Application) Regulation Bill, 2019" (PDF).
- ^ PTI (13 January 2022). "Those 'Directly Affected' By Pegasus Row To Soon Depose Before WB Govt-Formed Panel". outlookindia.com. Retrieved 28 April 2022.
- ^ www.sec.gov https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1326801/000121465923007846/z525230px14a6g.htm. Retrieved 10 June 2023.
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(help) - ^ "Meta recommends shareholders vote against proposal on rights impact in India". The Indian Express. 27 May 2023. Retrieved 10 June 2023.
- ^ "Meta shareholders snub proposal to assess hate speech, political bias in India". The Morning Context. Retrieved 10 June 2023.
- ^ Bench, Bar & (23 August 2011). "Book Review Commentary on Information Technology Act by Apar Gupta 2nd Edition 2011 Lexis Nexis". Bar and Bench - Indian Legal news. Retrieved 28 April 2022.
- ^ "Author Page for Apar Gupta". muckrack.com. Retrieved 28 April 2022.
- ^ "Author Page for Apar Gupta :: SSRN". papers.ssrn.com. Retrieved 28 April 2022.
- ^ "11th Krishna Raj Memorial Lecture". ILS Law College. Retrieved 10 June 2023.
- ^ "How 'Digital India' Has Transformed the Landscape of Policing and Criminal Justice in Delhi". The Wire. Retrieved 10 June 2023.
- ^ "Forbes India - Apar Gupta: Emerging Voice In Media Laws". Forbes India. Retrieved 19 May 2022.
- ^ Bench, Bar & (15 February 2020). "Apar Gupta wins Ashoka Fellowship for work with Internet Freedom Foundation". Bar and Bench - Indian Legal news. Retrieved 19 May 2022.
- ^ Bench, Bar & (21 December 2020). "Winners of second edition of Agami Prize declared". Bar and Bench - Indian Legal news. Retrieved 19 May 2022.
- ^ "Apar Gupta - Executive Director at Internet Freedom Foundation". Rest of World. 11 May 2022. Retrieved 19 May 2022.