{"id":983,"date":"2020-09-21T11:24:15","date_gmt":"2020-09-21T11:24:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/annual-reports.itforchange.net\/Annual-Report\/?page_id=983"},"modified":"2020-09-25T10:20:14","modified_gmt":"2020-09-25T10:20:14","slug":"2019-20-data-and-the-digital-economy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/annual-reports.itforchange.net\/Annual-Report\/2019-20-data-and-the-digital-economy\/","title":{"rendered":"Data and the Digital Economy"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Overview<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/p>

Directors’ Note<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/p>

Our Team<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/p>

Thematic Areas<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/p>

\u00a0 1. <\/span>Data and the Digital Economy<\/span><\/a><\/span><\/p>

\u00a0 2.\u00a0<\/span>Digital Rights and Democracy<\/span><\/a><\/span><\/p>

\u00a0 3. Prakriye<\/em> Field Centre<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/p>

\u00a0 4.\u00a0ICTs and Education<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/p>

\u00a0 5.\u00a0Gender Justice in the Digital Society<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/p>

Publications<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/p>

Financial\u00a0Statements <\/a><\/span><\/span><\/p>

List of Abbreviations <\/a><\/span><\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Data and the Digital Economy<\/span><\/p>

Our policy research and advocacy efforts in relation to the digital economy have focused on identifying appropriate directions for the governance of platforms, data, and AI technologies from the standpoint of equity and social justice. In global and national policy dialogues, we have consistently articulated the rights of marginalized people and groups in the rapidly platformizing and datafying economy, underscoring the linkages between data justice and the right to development.<\/span><\/em><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Research<\/span><\/b><\/span><\/p>

Concluding our multi-country project on the platform economy<\/span><\/strong><\/p>

In 2019-20, IT for Change (ITfC) concluded the final phase of its multi-country research project, Policy Frameworks for Digital Platforms<\/span><\/a>.<\/span> This project, supported by the International Development Research Centre (IDRC), Canada, has been able to provide a first-of-its-kind, development-focused perspective on platformization, foregrounding a Global South outlook and drawing from examples, illustrations, and models that do not always make their way into the mainstream discourse. The synthesis report<\/span><\/span><\/a> and other outputs<\/a><\/span> from this project have been well received by various academic communities and policy circles. <\/span><\/p>

In an end-of-project national workshop convened in New Delhi in August 2019, we were able to bring together key players and stakeholders from the digital rights and policy community, social movements, unions, governments, lawyers, as well as the private sector in India. The former secretary of the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) referred to our meeting as a first-of-its-kind dialogue and was keen that our insights be taken on board by the IT and telecom departments.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Other research on platformization<\/span><\/strong><\/p>

T<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>he positive buzz around <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>our global platform economy<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span> project <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>also <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>opened up a slew of new research opportunities for <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>us<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span> to extend <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>our <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>work in th<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>is<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span> domain<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>. In July 2019, <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>we were invited, and subsequently<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span> chosen, to author <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>a report on the trends and impacts of platform models in the tourism sector in India<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/span> by <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>TourismWatch<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span>, <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>a special desk of Bread for the World<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>The <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>report was released at the cusp of the <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>Covid-19<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span> pandemic in March 2020, a time when global travel had come under greater scrutiny. It not only provide<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>s<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span> a<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>n<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span> intricate and deep-dive analysis into <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>the <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>invisible but paradigmatic shifts of platformization that are unfolding in the tourism sector, but also advocates for smaller and sustainable models of digitally-aided tourism. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>An <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>India<\/span><\/a>–<\/a>specific policy brief<\/a><\/span><\/span>,<\/i><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span> which was released for small and medium tourism enterprises, has been well received and utilized by industry bodies in their advocacy with the government. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>

In September 2019, ITfC was also chosen for a research project for the International Labour Organization (ILO) involving a mapping of alternative models of platform organization, focusing on workers in on-demand work, micro-work, and e-commerce platforms. The (forthcoming) report provides a sharp and incisive analysis into the changing nature of work in the context of the platform economy and points to the need for a new agenda for labor in a post-Covid world \u2013 one that centers workers\u2019 rights to data.
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We were invited to contribute to the Transnational Institute\u2019s State of Power series, for which we developed an essay titled The Intelligent Corporation: Data and the Digital Economy.<\/span><\/a><\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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<\/i> Although I have known of IT for Change and its work for close to two decades, it was only last year that I got to work directly with them. The committed team of women with whom I worked were strategic in their approach with strong grasp of issues pertaining to technological change and workers\u2019 rights. I enjoyed working with this motivated, hardworking and highly skilled group of researchers and activists and I would not hesitate to join forces with them again.<\/i><\/div>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
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Simel Esim<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
Programme Manager-Enterprises Department, International Labour Office<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Participation in the Data Governance Network<\/span><\/strong><\/p>

As part of the <\/span><\/span><\/span>Data Governance Network<\/a> <\/span><\/span><\/span>(DGN)<\/span><\/span>,<\/span> a two-year, India-<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>focused<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span> research initiative helmed by the IDFC <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>I<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>nstitute, <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>ITfC<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span> team members engaged in conceptual research work that<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span> explor<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>ed <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>economic rights,<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span> especially collective rights, <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>to data<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>During 2019-20<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>, we <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>produced<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span> multiple research outputs, including a paper on <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>Data and Digital Intelligence Commons<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span>, which examined collective data rights of communities and expanded on the term \u2018community data\u2019 being employed in Indian policy documents. A <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>policy brief<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span> base<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>d<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span> on this paper outline<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>d <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>a framework law to establish community data ownership and use it as a basis for mandating data sharing where required. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>In<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span> Breaking up Big Tech: Separation of its Data, Cloud and Intelligence Layers<\/span><\/a>,<\/a><\/span><\/span> we<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span> analyze<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>d <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>the limitations of current efforts to <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>regulate <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>the power of Big Tech <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>and <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>propose<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>d<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span> a <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>new <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>digital economy-centred regulatory paradigm. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>

As part of this project, <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>in December 2019, <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>we<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span> organized a <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>roundtable<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span> at <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>the<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span> National Law School of India <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>University<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span> (NLSIU)<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>, Bangalore. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>The event<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span> brought together <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>over <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>40 <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>actors<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span> from various backgrounds and fields, ranging from technologists, policymakers, legal scholars, and students. The keynote address was <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>made<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span> by Prof. Dr. Sudhir Krishnaswamy, V<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>ice Chancellor<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>, NLSIU.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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<\/i> IT for Change has taken a pioneering role in formulating a progressive agenda of what digital justice could look like globally. With its impressive conceptual work on community data rights and data commons, IT for Change has greatly contributed to the international debate on the future architecture of data governance.<\/i><\/div>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
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Sarah Ganter<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
Expert, Global Digital Economy, Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Concluding our series on AI and Development<\/span><\/strong><\/p>

Recognizing that the governance of AI technologies is the next frontier of the data debates, with support from Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung (FES) India, we <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>published<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span> a set of research papers scoping the outlook for AI in India \u2013 moving beyond a liberal framing of human rights in AI governance to an expansive reflection on the interrelated impacts of AI on civic-political rights, socio-economic rights, and the right to development. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>These papers \u2013 spanning sectors such as <\/span>education<\/span><\/a><\/span>, <\/span>fintech<\/a><\/span><\/span>,<\/span><\/span> <\/span>agriculture<\/a><\/span><\/span>,<\/span><\/span> <\/span>ports and logistics<\/span><\/a><\/span>, and <\/span>global governance<\/span><\/a> \u2013 were released in 2019 as part <\/span>of<\/span> FES India\u2019s research series on AI in India.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Advocacy<\/span><\/b><\/span><\/p>

Engaging on data governance in national policy debates<\/span><\/strong><\/p>

Over the year we engaged extensively with civil society groups and movements as well as the industry in India, on why economic rights to data should matter to them. We co-convened two consultations: one on e-commerce with major trade unions in India and another on data issues with the global trade union Public Services International (PSI). We also co-convened data-related meetings and meeting tracks with groups advocating for trade justice in India, including those working with traders, farmers, and workers. Our work in mobilizing civil society groups against the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) played a part in India opting out of the Free Trade Agreement (FTA), signaling a win for many farmers’ and traders’ groups.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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<\/i>IT for Change's deep expertise on the digital economy in general and the complex concept of \"data\" in particular, has been extremely useful in shaping our understanding and positioning on e-commerce negotiations in the area of trade negotiations, both in the WTO and RCEP. Their knowledge of technical issues combined with a deep understanding of the political dynamics of the digital economy gives IT for Change a unique perspective that is very valuable for development organizations such as ours.<\/i><\/div>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
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Ranja Sengupta<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
Senior Researcher and Trade Coordinator, Third World Network<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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In September 2019, <\/span><\/span><\/span>ITfC<\/span><\/span><\/span> w<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>as<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span> invited to be part of the new <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>high-level <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>committee on non-personal data <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>helmed by the <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>M<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>inistry of <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>E<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>lectronics <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>I<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>nformation and <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>T<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>echnology (Me<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>i<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>t<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>Y)<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>, <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>which will be bringing out a report on <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>n<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>on-<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>p<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>ersonal <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>d<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>ata in 2020, to serve as a springboard for deliberating legislation on the regulation of <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>such<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span> data. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>

In addition to these efforts, we have consistently written in the media <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>on the need for economic and collective rights to data. Articles <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>and interviews <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>by <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>team <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>members have been carried in mainstream media outlets including the <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>Hindustan Times<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a>, <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>The Hindu<\/span><\/span><\/a>, <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>T<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a>he <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a>Wire<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span>,<\/span> as well as alternative spaces such as<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span> Himal Southasian<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span>.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Making a dent in global data governance spaces<\/strong> <\/span><\/p>

In <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>2019-2020, <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>we<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span> attained greater momentum <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>in our<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span> work on digital justice through <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>critical research and advocacy efforts. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>For<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span> the <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>UNCTAD Digital Economy Report<\/span><\/span><\/a>, <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span>2019<\/span><\/a>, ITfC<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span> contributed a background paper on the role of data, <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>which <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>was instrumental in shaping the report\u2019s views on collective approaches to data. In July 2019, <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>we were part of a <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>panel <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>put together to mark<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span> the India release of <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>this report<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>, where the head of the UNCTAD <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>D<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>igital <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>E<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>conomy <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>R<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>eport team acknowledged the organization\u2019s key role in conceptualiz<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>ing <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>the economic role and value of data.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>

We <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>also <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>took forward <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>our work on labor rights in the digital economy. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>We <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>were i<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>nvited to address the Asia Pacific Regional five-yearly assembly of PSI in Bali in September 2019 and <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>were <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>the <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>only external organization invited to the <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>PSI executive members meeting in Geneva in January 2020.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>

\"\"
Members of the IT for Change team waiting to discuss the \u2018Digital Justice Manifesto\u2019 at the Just Net Coalition booth at the Internet Governance Forum, 2019 in Berlin.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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In November 2019, <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>on behalf of the Just Net Coalition (JNC), <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>ITfC<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span> co-hosted a global meeting <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>in New Delhi, which saw participation from a range of <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>civil society actors interested in trade issues. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>This was<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span> to prepare for the <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>World Trade Organization (<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>WTO<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>)<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span> ministerial which was <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>scheduled for<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span> June 20<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>20<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span> (and was subsequently canceled on account of the pandemic). <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>

Building on the engagements and discussions of a two-day <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>global strategy workshop<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span> convened in Bangkok in March 2019, <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>JNC<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span> worked on and developed the <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>Digital Justice Manifesto<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a>, a policy document articulating principles for an equitable and just digital economy. The manifesto was formally unveiled at a pre-event of the International Governance Forum (IGF) in Berlin <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>in <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>November.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>

Ahead of the launch of the manifesto, we organized an international workshop titled Data and Digital Intelligence as People\u2019s Resources: Reclaiming Freedom and Control in a Data-Based Society <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>on<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span> November <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>23-24<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>, 2019 in Berlin. Supported by FES and <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>Bread for the World<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>, this meeting sought to connect a global network of actors committed to equity and social justice, to discuss how these values could be imbibed into <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>future strategies<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span> for global data governance, especially with regard to the regulation of data as an economic resource. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>

An important outcome of the two-day <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>global strategy <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>meeting was the setting up of working groups addressing <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>various themes such as e-commerce and trade, agroecology, health, labor rights, etc.,<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span> which w<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>ill<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span> coordinate and collaborate on research and advocacy strategies to take forward the agendas arrived upon at the meeting.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>

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Parminder Jeet Singh speaking at a panel discussion on the Personal Data Protection Bill, 2019, organized by the SFLC.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Critical national and global forums<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>

Members of <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>ITfC<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span> organized, participated, and made their voices heard at a number of events this year at the national and global levels. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>