- Indian state uses mobile internet shutdowns and facial recognition to suppress protests like the CJP demonstrations, limiting documentation and coordination.
- Supreme Court ruling in Anuradha Bhasin case requires necessity and proportionality for internet suspensions, but shutdowns often bypass procedural transparency.
- Protesters are adapting with offline, Bluetooth-aided mesh messaging protocols like Briar and Bitchat to evade network blackouts.
- Delhi Police deploys automated facial recognition systems (AFRS) at protest sites, with indiscriminate filming and threats to share footage with families and institutions.
- Government databases for AFRS are opaque, potentially including arbitrary 'rabble-rousers' categories, criminalizing constitutional protest rights.