The Parliament just passed the Online Gaming Bill - without debate. Since yesterday, my colleague @GuhaDeepro and I spoke to several journalists across leading publications to share our perspective on this move. The biggest problem with this legislation is the disregard for #dueprocess — and the sheer haste with which it was pushed through Parliament. The online gaming industry has long faced regulatory uncertainty, but abrupt reversals - praising startups for jobs and investment one day, then announcing a ban the next - are the most damaging. While addressing harms has to be a paramount concern - and clear regulation must be adopted - abrupt moves like this undermine India's reputation as a stable, predictable investment destination. Given that the Bill has already been passed, the least the government can do now is provide a reasonable #transitionperiod - giving companies space to repurpose investments into permissible areas and adapt to the new regime. Equally critical is a robust system to track and curb offshore illegal betting platforms, which otherwise stand to gain from the disruption. The government has cited employment potential in the new Bill, but its real impact on jobs remains unclear. India’s gaming ecosystem is symbiotic: while money games attract capital, talent, and drive innovation in tech and compliance, the non-money sector benefits from these spillovers in design, monetisation models, and rotating talent pools. Curtailing money games could therefore indirectly stifle growth across non-money segments, weakening the sector as a whole. Without a transition plan, the fallout will be severe: companies risk losing customers, laying off workers, and shelving innovation, while offshore operators swoop in - undermining both consumer protection and government revenues. #OnlineGaming @tqh_policy

Public Tech meets Active Citizenship in New York! Thrilled to announce this powerful collaboration between @ylacofficial, @haqdarshak, @YouthKiAwaaz, @IndusAction, @ReapBenefit, @RNP_Foundation, @C4EC_Foundation, and @Acumen as we engage in an essential dialogue during the United Nations General Assembly week. In today’s fast-paced world, public tech holds immense potential for impact, but human agency—the ability of communities to drive change—remains an under-leveraged force. Imagine combining the power of technology with civic engagement to activate this untapped resource! On September 27th, we are coming together in New York to explore how civic engagement organizations can help do exactly that. 🗓️ Event Details: Date: September 27th, 2024 Time: 11:00 AM - 1:00 PM Location: Acumen, 40 Worth St, New York Limited Seats Available – Register Now (link below) Join @DoegarAniket, @rbkuldeep, @tarunch, @SanjayPurohitM, @anshul_tewari and myself, alongside key public tech foundations from the US and India for a critical conversation on Digital Public Goods (DPG) and Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI). Link to register: bit.ly/publictechglobalsouth… ------ #PublicTech #ActiveCitizenship #CollaborationForImpact #SocialChange #GlobalSouth #DPI #UNGA @BhartiAparajita @shipra_baduni @GuhaDeepro @sudcurious @sonakshi_93

Last week, I spoke with @Aaratrika_11 and @pranesh on @the_hindu's Parley podcast about the liability of owners of digital platforms for user-generated content. We discussed the complexities surrounding #Telegram and the recent arrest of its founder, Pavel Durov. Telegram's approach has certainly allowed individuals in authoritarian regimes to communicate more freely, but there are real-world harms from unregulated online content that must be considered. Balancing innovation and free speech with mitigating harmful content requires platforms to address illegal activity when reported and put safeguards in place to prevent misuse. High-profile arrests like Durov’s naturally spark panic, especially when they occur in liberal democracies. But the issue is complex, and we must take a nuanced approach to platform regulation, avoiding simplistic political narratives. Regulation doesn’t have to be a binary choice between #freespeech and government overreach—there are ways to strike a middle path. With increasing tensions between regulators and platforms (e.g., the recent banning of X in Brazil), there’s growing urgency for platforms to negotiate safeguards with governments to prevent abuses of power on both sides. Ultimately, this debate extends beyond free speech, touching on critical issues of governance, accountability, and the sovereignty of digital spaces. You can listen to the podcast here: open.spotify.com/show/5btLvR… #IntermediaryLiability #DigitalIndiaAct #FreedomofSpeech @tqh_policy

Apple may allow sideloading and other app stores on its mobiles in the EU to comply with the DMA. Regulators all over the world will surely be watching this development. At @tqh_policy we had done a study earlier with @adif_India that looked at gatekeeping in the mobile OS ecosystem and argued for regulations to create more competition. The Digital Markets Act in the EU prescribes several of those reforms we suggested for India.