The Covid-19 lockdowns have brought about some irreversible changes, including the shift towards remote work, reduced reliance on commercial real estate, a decline in air travel, and changes in mass entertainment. In order to facilitate these transformations we need more accommodating internet regulations.

The Indian government’s Aarogya Setu app aims to slow the spread of COVID-19 by tracking and testing those who have come into contact with infected individuals. Despite concerns over personal privacy, the app incorporates privacy protections such as dissociating personal data, retaining data on the device by default, and strict data retention policies.

The COVID-19 pandemic exposed the vulnerabilities of global supply chains and our over-reliance on just-in-time delivery models. While some may argue for more insular approaches and increased governmental control, the free movement of data and international collaboration has enabled rapid responses, such as genome sequencing and 3D printing of medical equipment. The crisis highlights the potential for global collaboration to impact health outcomes positively.

Post-9/11 and 26/11 attacks, security measures at US airports and Indian hotels became stringent, normalizing privacy sacrifices for safety. The COVID-19 crisis demands similar privacy compromises for health surveillance, potentially resetting our privacy expectations permanently, but we must resist normalizing this intrusion post-crisis.

The Supreme Court of India ruled that the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has the authority to regulate virtual currencies but found its decision to ban regulated entities from providing services to virtual currency exchanges disproportionate. The ruling clears the way for RBI to issue specific regulations on cryptocurrencies, likely more stringent than those in other countries, recognizing the potential stronger adverse effects on India’s developing economy.

Developing vaccines is expensive, risky, and time-consuming due to stringent approval processes and logistical challenges. Platform technologies for vaccines, which can be adapted quickly for different pathogens, offer a promising solution. However, current legal regimes are not equipped to evaluate these platforms, and regulators must gain experience with them to accelerate approvals.

The use of end-to-end encryption is essential for privacy but also poses challenges, as it can be misused for criminal activities, such as the distribution of Child Sexual Abuse Imagery (CSAI). The paper presented at the Web Conference 2019 highlights the exponential growth in CSAI, correlating it with technological advancements. The dilemma lies in finding a balance between protecting civil liberties through encryption and preventing its exploitation for criminal purposes.

In 1998, Indian private telecom companies faced bankruptcy due to a crippling fixed-fee license model. The government’s 1999 policy shift to a revenue-sharing model saved the sector. Now, with a Supreme Court ruling on unpaid license fees, the sector faces crisis again, requiring government intervention.

Technology enables us to use things we do not own but unless laws change from regulating based on ownership to regulating based on access despite everything our technology has made possible, innovation will continue to be stifled by legislation.

Google’s recent achievement of “quantum supremacy” has highlighted the urgency of commercializing quantum computing. Once viable, it will render current encryption methods obsolete, as quantum computers could easily defeat even the highest encryption. India must invest in quantum computing research and development to remain technologically relevant and independent in the future.