---
title: Internet Freedom Foundation (IFF)
type: advocacy
status: active
country: IN
website: https://internetfreedom.in
logo: /assets/org-logos/internet-freedom-foundation.svg
logo_bg: dark
contact:
  checked: 2026-07-30
  email: media@internetfreedom.in
  source: https://internetfreedom.in/contact
summary: A Delhi-based digital rights advocacy organisation defending civil liberties
  in Indian democracy — challenging internet shutdowns, surveillance, and data protection
  failures through litigation, policy engagement, and civic literacy since 2016.
concepts:
- radical-transparency
- e-government
- accountability-sink
location:
  latitude: 28.5355
  longitude: 77.249
  name: New Delhi, India
rss_feed: https://internetfreedom.in/rss
events:
- date: '2016-08-15'
  title: Founded in India on Independence Day to defend digital rights, free expression,
    and online civil liberties
  url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_Freedom_Foundation
  quote: Launched on 15 August 2016
  proof_level: high
  url_checked: '2026-08-10'
  notable: true
- date: '2021-05-26'
  title: Successfully challenged India's IT Rules 2021 in court, securing key digital
    rights protections
  url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_Freedom_Foundation
  quote: challenges to the IT Rules, 2021
  proof_level: high
  url_checked: '2026-08-10'
  notable: true
activity:
  dod:
    checked: 2026-07-16
    date: 2026-03-30
    note: Site returned 403 to direct fetch (bot protection); web-search fallback
      found IFF's Second Strategic Plan (2026-2028) and active March 2026 IT Rules
      Amendment advocacy, plus reported July 2026 Supreme Court AI Committee submission
      and Delhi HC litigation
    url: https://x.com/internetfreedom/status/2038604152318644237
  rss:
    date: 2026-08-14
    note: 'Latest post: Flagging data protection violations in Har Ghar Tiranga 5.0'
    url: https://internetfreedom.in/flagging-data-protection-violations-in-har-ghar-tiranga-5-0/
    checked: 2026-08-17
last_checked: '2026-07-16'
---

> **Note on scope:** IFF's work sits at the edge of DOD's landscape. Its focus is on defending the digital conditions for democratic participation — internet access, freedom from surveillance — rather than designing governance mechanisms directly. It is included because those conditions are a direct prerequisite for how citizens engage with governance in an increasingly digital public sphere.

The Internet Freedom Foundation (IFF) was founded on 15 August 2016 (India's Independence Day), growing out of the SaveTheInternet.in movement that successfully defended net neutrality in India. IFF is domestically funded and focused specifically on civil liberties and democratic participation in the digital sphere.

IFF's work combines strategic litigation, policy submissions, and public-facing research. It has been a petitioner or intervener in cases spanning online privacy, surveillance reform, free expression, and internet access.

## Key work areas

- **Internet shutdowns** — the KeepUsOnline campaign (2017 onwards) against India's widespread use of internet shutdowns
- **Privacy and surveillance** — litigation and advocacy on state surveillance and data protection
- **SaveOurPrivacy** — a coalition of 35+ organisations that drafted a model Indian Privacy Code (2018)
- **AI and platform governance** — policy submissions on AI governance frameworks and platform regulation

## Links

- Website: [internetfreedom.in](https://internetfreedom.in)

## See also

- [Radical Transparency](../concepts/radical-transparency.md)
- [E-Government](../concepts/e-government.md)
- [Accountability Sink](../concepts/accountability-sink.md)