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15 Indian J. L. & Tech. 1 (2019)

handle is hein.journals/indiajoula15 and id is 1 raw text is: 








              THE AADHAAR VERDICT AND THE

                   SURVEILLANCE CHALLENGE

           Ananth Padmanabhan* & Vasudha Singh**




        ABSTRACT        Conventional responses to privacy protection,
        such as the notice-and-consent framework, are inapposite to a
        data fled world where ubiquitous data collection is facilitated by
        a range of advanced technologies. Such traditional frameworks
        also commonly   vest the State with more leeway than private
        companies to access personal data, which amplifies privacy harms
        in case of State use of data. Despite the ominous possibility of
        State surveillance, the Indian judiciary has thus far grappled with
        the right to privacy through a narrow lens focused on individual
        privacy risks rather than structural moves towards a surveillance
        society. This article explores a different viewpoint by studying
        the structural effects of the Aadhaar project on privacy, which
        drastically differ from the individual harms that Indian privacy
        jurisprudence is equipped  to address. It first introduces the
        Supreme  Court's engagement with  the right to privacy through
        prior verdicts. It then explores the surveillance concerns raised
        by the petitioners in the Aadhaar verdict. This part examines
        the Supreme  Court's response to these surveillance challenges
        and its failure to address structural inroads on privacy through
        architectural design choices that deliberately prescribe low
        baseline protection. Finally, the article contrasts this approach
        with the more  holistic perspective on citizen-State interaction
        evident in Justice Chandrachud's minority view.




 I. Introduction ................... 2  IV. In Conclusion: The Need for
 II. Surveillance and the Supreme Court. 6  More Robust Review............ 17
III. Aadhaar's Surveillance Risks and
    the Judicial Resolution  .......... 12


Dean, Daksha Fellowship.
Advocate, Delhi High Court.