Apar Gupta

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."[2]

Apar Gupta
Born (1984-02-28) 28 February 1984
NationalityNew Delhi, India
Alma materAmity Law School, Columbia Law School
Occupation(s)Lawyer, Writer
AwardsAshoka Fellowship

Education

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

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

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 in 2018.[19] For his work at IFF he has been awarded the Ashoka Fellowship in 2019[20] and is a Next Now Fellow.[21] Gupta has filed a case as a petitioner against the Ministry of Home Affairs for disclosure of statistical data on surveillance in India.[22] He has deposed before a parliamentary committee on the DNA Bill[23] and before a commission inquiring into the use of Pegasus.[24]

On May 31, 2023, he presented Item #7 at the Annual meeting of shareholders of META Platforms[25] titled as, "Shareholder Proposal Regarding Report on Allegations of Political Entanglement and Content Management Biases in India"[26] that was defeated with 5% votes in its favour.[27]

Writing and Lectures

Gupta authored the Commentary on the Information Technology Act which is published by LexisNexis.[28] He writes regularly on digital and democratic rights in leading newspapers and is quoted as an expert in India.[29] Gupta is published in reviewed journals like the Indian Journal of Law and Technology, Seminar and the India International Center Quarterly.[30] He has delivered the 11th Krishna Raj Memorial Lecture[31] and at the 37th Annual Dr. Ramanatham Memorial Meeting (with Jinee Lokaneeta).[32]

Awards and recognition
  • Forbes India : 30 under 30 (2014)[33]
  • Ashoka Fellowship (2019)[34]
  • Agami Shamnad Basheer Citizenship Prize : Special Mention (2020)[35]
  • ROW 100 : Global Tech's Changemakers (2022)[36]

See also

References
  1. "Rhodes scholar to Carnatic singer, meet 4 young lawyers in privacy fight". The Indian Express. 7 August 2017. Retrieved 28 April 2022.
  2. "Apar Gupta | Ashoka | Everyone a Changemaker". www.ashoka.org. Retrieved 25 May 2022.
  3. "India's Justice League: Young Guns Behind The Right to Privacy Win". thequint.com. The Quint. 24 August 2017. Retrieved 8 July 2020.
  4. Chauhan, Neha. "Bombay's Advani & Co merges with Delhi start-up Accendo, aims for multiple best friends". www.legallyindia.com. Retrieved 28 April 2022.
  5. "Forbes India - Apar Gupta: Emerging Voice In Media Laws". Forbes India. Retrieved 28 April 2022.
  6. Saluja, Pallavi. "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.
  7. Shrivastava, Prachi (30 March 2015). "Behind the scenes of the fight against Section 66A". mint. Retrieved 28 April 2022.
  8. 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.
  9. Rautray, Samanwaya. "State, DM can ban mobile internet to maintain law: Supreme Court". The Economic Times. Retrieved 25 May 2022.
  10. "Rhodes scholar to Carnatic singer, meet 4 young lawyers in privacy fight". The Indian Express. 7 August 2017. Retrieved 28 April 2022.
  11. "Message from a verdict". The Indian Express. 28 September 2018. Retrieved 28 April 2022.
  12. "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.
  13. "Supreme Court Hears PIL on Restoration of 4G Internet in J&K". 9 April 2020. Retrieved 28 April 2022.
  14. "Citing Anti-Terror Law, Delhi Police Block Global Youth Climate Activism Website". The Wire. Retrieved 28 April 2022.
  15. Mishra, Ashish K. (9 May 2015). "India's Net neutrality crusaders". mint. Retrieved 28 April 2022.
  16. "Citizens' draft law on data privacy to be unveiled today". The Indian Express. 8 June 2018. Retrieved 28 April 2022.
  17. "Outside The Frame | Pragya Singh". 1 July 2014. Archived from the original on 1 July 2014. Retrieved 25 May 2022.
  18. ""Shocking": Supreme Court Notice To Centre On Cases Under Scrapped Law". NDTV.com. Retrieved 25 May 2022.
  19. "Looking towards the future". Internet Freedom Foundation. 27 September 2018. Retrieved 28 April 2022.
  20. Bench, Bar &. "Apar Gupta wins Ashoka Fellowship for work with Internet Freedom Foundation". Bar and Bench - Indian Legal news. Retrieved 28 April 2022.
  21. "Apar Gupta | Next Now". www.next-now.org. Retrieved 28 April 2022.
  22. "Delhi HC seeks Centre's stand on statistical information on e-surveillance". Business Today. Retrieved 28 April 2022.
  23. "Rajya Sabha, Report on DNA Technology (Use And Application) Regulation Bill, 2019" (PDF).
  24. PTI (13 January 2022). "Those 'Directly Affected' By Pegasus Row To Soon Depose Before WB Govt-Formed Panel". outlookindia.com. Retrieved 28 April 2022.
  25. www.sec.gov https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1326801/000121465923007846/z525230px14a6g.htm. Retrieved 10 June 2023. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  26. "Meta recommends shareholders vote against proposal on rights impact in India". The Indian Express. 27 May 2023. Retrieved 10 June 2023.
  27. "Meta shareholders snub proposal to assess hate speech, political bias in India". The Morning Context. Retrieved 10 June 2023.
  28. Bench, Bar &. "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.
  29. "Author Page for Apar Gupta". muckrack.com. Retrieved 28 April 2022.
  30. "Author Page for Apar Gupta :: SSRN". papers.ssrn.com. Retrieved 28 April 2022.
  31. "11th Krishna Raj Memorial Lecture". ILS Law College. Retrieved 10 June 2023.
  32. "How 'Digital India' Has Transformed the Landscape of Policing and Criminal Justice in Delhi". The Wire. Retrieved 10 June 2023.
  33. "Forbes India - Apar Gupta: Emerging Voice In Media Laws". Forbes India. Retrieved 19 May 2022.
  34. Bench, Bar &. "Apar Gupta wins Ashoka Fellowship for work with Internet Freedom Foundation". Bar and Bench - Indian Legal news. Retrieved 19 May 2022.
  35. Bench, Bar &. "Winners of second edition of Agami Prize declared". Bar and Bench - Indian Legal news. Retrieved 19 May 2022.
  36. "Apar Gupta - Executive Director at Internet Freedom Foundation". Rest of World. 11 May 2022. Retrieved 19 May 2022.
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