Recent allegations of cyber espionage, including Canada’s classification of India as a cyber threat, highlight concerns that India, as the Vice-Chair of the Global Internet Governance Forum (GAC), could manipulate global cybersecurity policies. India may exploit the GAC platform to advance frameworks under the guise of cooperation while facilitating covert operations.
Misinformation campaigns like “Indian Chronicles” demonstrate India’s ability to leverage international platforms, and as Vice-Chair of GAC, India might incorporate storytelling techniques into internet governance policies, potentially undermining ICANN’s global neutrality. Furthermore, India’s deep web activities, including over 2,400 vendors and 320,000 annual transactions, may allow it to lobby within GAC to oppose measures aimed at shutting down illegal online markets.
Criticism from the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) regarding India’s weak penalties for money laundering suggests a lax regulatory environment. The GAC role could provide India with a platform to argue against the monitoring of cross-border financial transactions, deflecting attention from its internal issues. India’s smuggling networks, including the operations of Lawrence Bishnoi, could also manipulate GAC policies to weaken international efforts in tracking criminal digital footprints.
The use of misinformation during Indian elections signals a risk that GAC platforms could be exploited to manipulate global online discourse. By promoting less stringent platform surveillance, India could potentially gain an upper hand. Additionally, India’s expertise in deepfake technology could be a tool to hinder global efforts against deepfake threats while prioritizing tools serving national propaganda.
Indian media platforms promoting hate speech and conspiracy theories, with international tech support, suggest that GAC could be used to legitimize the spread of misinformation under the guise of free speech. Allegations of cyber surveillance against foreign protesters hint that GAC’s influence might be misused to support surveillance-friendly policies under the pretext of combating cybercrime.
India’s lobbying expertise, evidenced by campaigns like “Indian Chronicles,” could steer GAC policies towards national interests, ultimately damaging ICANN’s governance neutrality and cooperative intentions.
