Digital Rights Weekly/Year 2/Issue 36

Sep 08, 2023

MOCIT Approved NTA Annual Budget, With Few Major Changes
The Ministry of Communication and Information Technology (MOICT) has approved the budget proposal submitted by the Nepal Telecommunications Authority (NTA) for the Fiscal Year 2080/81 with some changes. NTA has outlined a budget of NRP 11 billion with the objective of enhancing and expanding telecommunication services throughout the nation. The key highlights of the ambitious annual plan include expansion of mobile network coverage along the highways across the country, connecting all municipalities, ward offices, universities and constituent campuses with fiber internet; expansion of Wi-Fi Internet services at religious and tourist sites among others.
The ministry has made some major changes in course of approving annual plan of the NTA. It decided to suspend the implementation of TERAMOCS program. While the NTA had allocated a budget for the implementation of TERAMOCS within their proposed budget, the Ministry has clarified that the TERAMOCS will only be implemented once there is sufficient clarity on the policy and legal aspects of the system. Similarly, the ministry recommended canceling the digital Know Your Customer (KYC) system in the annual program. The ministry has stated that the responsibility for implementing the digital KYC system should rest with the service providers, emphasizing the need for its regulation. Consequently, the plan by NTA to allocate NRP 50 million for building the digital KYC system has been scrapped.

IDEMIA Retains National Identity Card System Maintenance Contract
IDEMIA, a French company, has been entrusted with the maintenance of the National Identity Card Management Information System, as decided by the Cabinet meeting. Furthermore, the government has agreed to retroactively compensate the company for last year’s maintenance work, even in the absence of a formal agreement. The Department of National Identity Card and Registration official disclosed that the decision includes both payment for the previous year’s services and the extension of the maintenance responsibility to the same company for an additional year, all without the need for a competitive tender process. The company will continue its work by entering into an Annual Maintenance Contract (AMC) for the National Identity Card Management Information System. Notably, the company had previously threatened to suspend full-scale support if outstanding fees for its services were not settled.

Meta Introduces Privacy Setting Allowing Users to Limit AI Data Usage
Meta, the company behind Facebook and Instagram, has unveiled a new privacy setting that enables users to request that their data not be used for training AI models. This feature, tucked away in Facebook’s Privacy Center, allows users to make requests related to their third-party information used in generative AI model training. Users have three options: access, download, or correct personal information; delete personal information; or provide details in a text box for other issues. Meta spokesperson Thomas Richards clarified that users in certain regions may exercise their data subject rights to object to specific data being utilized in AI model training.

PM Dahal Relaunches ‘Hello Sarkar’ with 24-Hour Operation
Prime Minister Puspa Kamal Dahal, has reintroduced the “Hello Sarkar” initiative, extending its operation to a 24-hour service starting from 3 September. This move aims to enhance the effectiveness of the public service and fulfill its initial goal. Previously, “Hello Sarkar” operated from 7 am to 7 pm.
Additionally, the government plans to expand “Hello Sarkar” to all local levels, demonstrating its commitment to engaging with the public and addressing various issues encountered by citizens—a fundamental aspect of democracy and good governance.

Popular Facebook Page Routine of Nepal Banda shut down, fake pages flooding
The popular Facebook page “Routine of Nepal Banda (RONB)” was unexpectedly taken down by its creator, Victor Paudel, on 4 September in the evening, citing “attacks” as the reason. This sudden move left many followers shocked and puzzled. In addition to the Facebook page, the associated Instagram and Threads pages also disappeared.
Following the closure of the original RONB page, numerous new pages with the same name were created, and some existing pages changed their names to “Routine of Nepal Banda,” sparking a meme trend.

DRN Co-hosted Panel Discussion on Cybersecurity and Digital Privacy: A Gendered Perspective
On 8 September 2023, Digital Rights Nepal (DRN), in collaboration with LogPoint, hosted a panel discussion on Cybersecurity and Digital Privacy: A Gendered Perspective as part of the Women in Data steering committee’s monthly discussion series. The event aimed to foster collaboration and knowledge sharing among experts from various sectors, featuring panelists from the Office of the Attorney General, cybersecurity specialists, investigation authorities, and civil society advocates. The primary objective was to facilitate the exchange of insights and strategies to strengthen the gender dimension within cybersecurity and digital privacy practices.
Throughout the event, participants explored various aspects of the gender dimension in cybersecurity and digital privacy, addressing topics like gender disparities in cybersecurity, emerging privacy concerns for women, online safety and empowerment, media representation in the context of cybersecurity, legal frameworks, and support systems, including reporting mechanisms.

Opportunity

Internet Rules: Unboxing digital laws in Southeast Asia workshop | 30 October – 2 November 2023
Internet Rules is a unique capacity building opportunity for young digital rights defenders to enhance their skills for understanding and analysing laws and case laws governing online spaces and technology. The organizers seek to provide this platform for young lawyers, activists, researchers and policy workers from Southeast Asia to sharpen their skills in advocating for rights-compliant digital laws, including through the use of the CYRILLA database.
If this is of interest to you or others in your network, you can submit applications by filling out this form by 20 September 2023.

Digital Rights Weekly is a week-based update on Digital Rights and ICT issues, that happened throughout the week, compiled and analyzed from the digital rights perspective by Digital Rights Nepal (DRN). DRN is a not-for-profit initiative dedicated to the protection and promotion of digital rights, including the right to online freedom of expression and association, online privacy, access to information, and related issues such as internet governance, cyber laws/policies, and cyber securities in Nepal.