Recognising its groundbreaking work, APC member Software Freedom Law Center, India (SFLC.in) was honoured with the EFF Award recently for Defending Digital Freedoms in 2025. The award, bestowed by the Electronic Frontier Foundation, recognises SFLC.in’s dedicated and principled efforts to protect human rights in the digital domain, particularly within the challenging terrain of India’s evolving internet governance landscape.
Over the past decade, SFLC.in has actively engaged in strategic litigation, policy interventions, capacity building and grassroots collaboration, challenging internet shutdowns, tracking censorship and free speech violations through its Free Speech Tracker, and equipping lawyers, technologists and civil society actors with digital security and rights knowledge.
In putting the spotlight to SFLC.in, EFF underscored how international solidarity and cross-jurisdictional partnerships strengthen the entire digital rights ecosystem. The EFF Award to SFLC.in both honours past achievement and signals forward momentum: in a period of intensifying contestation around freedom of expression, government surveillance, algorithmic governance and platform accountability, the recognition strengthens the visibility of digital rights as a fundamental field of human rights work. It highlights a renewed focus on collaborating with and learning from organisations operating in contested landscapes by building resilient, locally grounded ecosystems of expertise. In accepting the award, SFLC.in’s founder Mishi Choudhary emphasised, “These freedoms are not abstract. They are fought for every day by people, by organizations, and by movements.”
For APC members and civil society organisations working at the intersection of technology and human rights, this moment invites reflection on how local expertise, strategic litigation and technical literacy combine to defend public interests. SFLC.in’s example offers lessons about anchoring legal interventions in broad-based networks and navigating the tension between global norms and local contexts.
We connected with Greeshma Chauhan, SFLC.in’s community manager, to discuss their award-winning work with local communities and their vision for the future.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
What kinds of trainings and capacity building opportunities does SFLC.in offer and what are the communities with which you work?
The pro bono Digital Security Training (DST) provides hands-on training, simplified explanations of law and technology, and demonstrates easy to use tools to manage and protect user’s privacy and security in the digital world. These training sessions cover a range of topics, including but not limited to, online gender-based violence, data profiling and protection, search and seizure of electronic devices, social media security, spyware and malware detection.
Over the years, SFLC.in has conducted these trainings across 22 states in India, and has engaged with a variety of stakeholders ranging from government stakeholders, journalists, academics and students, technicians, lawyers, civil society actors and non-profit organisations, to provide tailor-made trai SFLC.in’s founder Mishi Choudharyning on digital security.
Through these trainings, we aim to build digital literacy and raise awareness about people’s digital rights. Participants learn about the constitutional and legal frameworks that safeguard these rights, enabling them to recognise and assert their protections when facing online harms. The technical component of the training equips them to secure their work, sensitive data, personal communication, and digital devices.
In your own words, how would you describe the Digital Defenders Network, and what would you want readers to know about it?
Operating across India, the Digital Defenders Network brings together lawyers committed to advancing digital rights. Through pro bono capacity-building programs, SFLC.in trains the network of lawyers on critical areas including (but not limited to) data privacy, information technology, cybercrimes, intermediary liability and technology-facilitated gender-based violence.
The curriculum also integrates technical modules to equip lawyers with essential digital competencies. Till date, SFLC.in has built a network of over 70 lawyers, spanning across different regions of India.
This pan-India network is especially valuable as it comprises lawyers from different states who are fluent in regional languages and well-versed in local legal processes. This enables citizens to access legal support from nearby lawyers who understand their context, can communicate effectively, and provide timely and practical recourse.
What is a major challenge to effective, successful litigation around digital rights and freedoms in India?
A major challenge that we face is the delay in the process of litigation. Often, by the time a matter is finally heard, the issue would have lost its relevance. In some cases the reluctance to grant interim orders can result in illegal actions continuing and these finally being considered to be a fait accompli.
Moreover, executive control and centralised enforcement structures, especially under frameworks like the Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Act, significantly restrict independent oversight. The Act’s design allows government interference in regulatory actions, weakening the ability to hold state agencies accountable for privacy or data protection violations.
Digital rights litigation faces barriers, including limited public awareness, and technical complexity, which make such cases resource-intensive and hard to sustain. These factors together contribute to an “enforcement deficit,” where even progressive court pronouncements or legal rights cannot easily translate into tangible protections on the ground.
What is one major impact of the increasing use of artificial intelligence (AI) on digital rights norms and regulations in the region?
The growing accessibility of AI-powered deepfake tools has drastically expanded the scale of technology-facilitated gender-based violence (TFGBV) in India. This is particularly concerning in India because young girls who have only recently begun to gain social acceptance to pursue education and occupy civic spaces are once again being targeted with threats of harassment, humiliation and reputational harm. Such violations not only erode privacy and dignity but also set back years of social progress toward gender equality.
Another particularly alarming trend is the creation of deepfakes where minors are both creators and victims of deepfakes. Instances have emerged where children generate deepfakes of classmates or teachers, for example. These cases are often handled informally at the school level, leaving victims without justice or redress. This raises complex legal and ethical questions and brings forth the need to educate the younger generation on digital rights and responsibilities.
There is also a pressing need to develop regulatory frameworks and awareness mechanisms to address the misuse of AI effectively.
Watch SFLC.in’s founder Mishi Choudhary accept the 2025 EFF Award for Defending Digital Freedoms here.