Apar Gupta

Apar Gupta
NationalityNew Delhi, India
Alma materAmity Law School, Columbia Law School
Occupation(s)Lawyer, Writer
AwardsAshoka Fellowship

Apar Gupta is a lawyer, founder 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

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 from 2018[19] till November, 2023.[20] He resumed the role of IFF's Founder Director in November, 2024.[21] For his work at IFF he was awarded the Ashoka Fellowship in 2019[22] and the Next Now Fellowship.[23] Gupta also filed a case as a petitioner against the Ministry of Home Affairs for disclosure of statistical data on surveillance in India.[24] He has deposed before a parliamentary committee on the DNA Bill[25] and before a commission inquiring into the use of Pegasus.[26]

On May 31, 2023, he presented Item #7 at the Annual meeting of shareholders of META Platforms[27] titled as, "Shareholder Proposal Regarding Report on Allegations of Political Entanglement and Content Management Biases in India"[28] that was defeated with 5% votes in its favour.[29]

Writing and Lectures

Gupta authored the Commentary on the Information Technology Act which is published by LexisNexis.[30] He writes regularly on digital and democratic rights in leading newspapers and is quoted as an expert in India.[31] Gupta is published in reviewed journals like the Indian Journal of Law and Technology, Seminar and the India International Center Quarterly.[32] He has delivered the 11th Krishna Raj Memorial Lecture[33] 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.[34]

Awards and recognition

  • Forbes India : 30 under 30 (2014)[35]
  • Ashoka Fellowship (2019)[36]
  • Agami Shamnad Basheer Citizenship Prize : Special Mention (2020)[37]
  • ROW 100 : Global Tech's Changemakers (2022)[38]

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 (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.
  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. ^ "Transitions and achieving our true potential". Internet Freedom Foundation. 18 July 2023. Retrieved 7 November 2023.
  21. ^ "Thank you Prateek!". Internet Freedom Foundation. 2 November 2024. Retrieved 25 November 2024.
  22. ^ 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.
  23. ^ "Apar Gupta | Next Now". www.next-now.org. Retrieved 28 April 2022.
  24. ^ "Delhi HC seeks Centre's stand on statistical information on e-surveillance". Business Today. 5 April 2022. Retrieved 28 April 2022.
  25. ^ "Rajya Sabha, Report on DNA Technology (Use And Application) Regulation Bill, 2019" (PDF).
  26. ^ PTI (13 January 2022). "Those 'Directly Affected' By Pegasus Row To Soon Depose Before WB Govt-Formed Panel". outlookindia.com. Retrieved 28 April 2022.
  27. ^ 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)
  28. ^ "Meta recommends shareholders vote against proposal on rights impact in India". The Indian Express. 27 May 2023. Retrieved 10 June 2023.
  29. ^ "Meta shareholders snub proposal to assess hate speech, political bias in India". The Morning Context. Retrieved 10 June 2023.
  30. ^ 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.
  31. ^ "Author Page for Apar Gupta". muckrack.com. Retrieved 28 April 2022.
  32. ^ "Author Page for Apar Gupta :: SSRN". papers.ssrn.com. Retrieved 28 April 2022.
  33. ^ "11th Krishna Raj Memorial Lecture". ILS Law College. Retrieved 10 June 2023.
  34. ^ "How 'Digital India' Has Transformed the Landscape of Policing and Criminal Justice in Delhi". The Wire. Retrieved 10 June 2023.
  35. ^ "Forbes India - Apar Gupta: Emerging Voice In Media Laws". Forbes India. Retrieved 19 May 2022.
  36. ^ 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.
  37. ^ Bench, Bar & (21 December 2020). "Winners of second edition of Agami Prize declared". Bar and Bench - Indian Legal news. Retrieved 19 May 2022.
  38. ^ "Apar Gupta - Executive Director at Internet Freedom Foundation". Rest of World. 11 May 2022. Retrieved 19 May 2022.