History and Evolution of the Internet

The Internet completely revolutionised communication and technology across the

Globe. Initially, computerised devices were only used for large industries but later its
usage increased massively.

It is also mandatory for people to know that it is not possible for a single person to
develop something as broad and wide as the Internet all by himself/herself. It was a
combined effort of multiple researchers and programmers that the Internet was
discovered.

Internet?

A global system of interconnected computers, using a standardised Internet Protocol

suite for communication and sharing information is called the Internet.

ISP?

ISP stands for Internet Service Provider. This helps in providing direct access for using
the internet from your office or home, connected through landlines. With the introduction
of Wi-fi and broadband, connecting to the Internet has become wireless.

World Wide Web?

World Wide Web or ‘www’ is a collection of webpages which can easily be published on
the Internet and read by millions of its users. To know the difference between World
Wide Web (www) and Internet, candidates can visit the linked article.

IP address?

The Internet Protocol address is a numerical identification code assigned for any device
connected to a network. It acts as an identification interface for Internet users.

Web Browser?

A web browser is a software application for accessing the information on the World
Wide Web. The commonly used web browsers include Google Chrome, Internet
Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, etc.
Given below are a few important points which played an extremely important role in the
development of the Internet and making it one of the most widely used resources across
the world.

 The first development was the introduction of host-to-host network interactions. This was first
observed in ARPANET in 1969. It was developed by Advanced Research Projects Agency
(APRA) of the Department of Defence, U.S. It was one of the first general usage of computer
networks.
 Next step was commercialising the usage and making the transistors and transmitters fit in
smaller devices for convenient Internet usage for the general public. This was introduced in
the 1970s
 Moving forward, satellites and wireless communication was the main target. Defence
Advanced Research Projects Agency (formerly ARPA), supported satellite-based radio
packets for mobile usage of networks
 The next was the development of Transmission Control Protocol (TCP). This enabled
different machines and networks across the world to assemble data packets. It was in the
1980s that the TCP/IP approach was adapted by researchers and technologists, following
the footsteps of the U.S. Department of Defence
 With the introduction of personal computers, the demand for commercial Internet usage
increased. This was the time when Ethernet and other Local Area Networks cam in the
foreground
 In 1993, the web browser was introduced, which followed the point-and-click approach and is
now a widely used operation for Internet users
 The late 1990s was the time when thousands of Internet Service Providers has taken up the
market and most of them were from the U.S.
 And then the 21st century brought in an amalgamation of technology and wireless Internet
accessibility for its users. Wherein, wireless broadband services came in as a boon for
Internet users

Ways To Connect To Internet

The different ways in which one can connect to the Internet are discussed below in
brief:

 Dial-Up – In such connections, users are required to link their phone line to a computer to
access the Internet. Under this connection, the user cannot make or receive phone calls
through tier home phone service

 Broadband – Provided either through cable or phone companies, Broadband is a high-

speed internet connection which is widely used today

 Wireless Connection – Wi-fi and Mobile service providers fall under this category. Internet
connectivity is made via radio waves and the Internet can be connected anywhere,
irrespective of the location. Given below are a few examples of wireless connection:
  Wi-fi – Wireless Fidelity or wi-fi allows high-speed internet connectivity without the
use of wires
 Mobile Phones – All smartphones are now equipped with an option for Internet
connectivity which can be availed using Internet vouchers and packs. No external
connection or wire is required for these
 Satellite – Where broadband connections are unavailable, satellites are used for
wireless Internet connectivity
 Integrated Services Digital Network – ISDN allows users to sent audio or video
data using telephone lines

Internet Connection Protocols

Protocols are a set of rules that help in governing the way in which any particular body
or technology works.

Internet Connection Protocols can be divided into three major types:

 TCP/IP Network Model – Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) and Internet Protocol (IP)
are the most widely used protocols for connecting networks. It divides any message into a
series of packets which are sent from source to destination
 File Transfer Protocol – Program files, multimedia files, text files, documents, etc. can be
transferred from one device to another, using FTP
 Hypertext Transfer Protocol – Used for transferring a hypertext from one device to two or
more devices. HTML tags are used for creating links and these links may be in the form of
text or images

Development of Right to Privacy in India

The proposed data protection framework is true to the ratio of the
judgement of the Supreme Court of India in Puttaswamy’s case. The
Supreme Court held that the right to privacy is a fundamental right
flowing from the right to life and personal liberty as well as other
fundamental rights securing individual liberty in the constitution.
Privacy itself was held to have negative aspects, (the right to be let
alone), and a positive aspect, (the right to self-development). The
sphere of privacy includes a right to protect one’s identity. The right
recognises the fact that all information about a person is
fundamentally her own, and she is free to communicate or retain it to
herself. The core of informational privacy, thus, is a right to autonomy
and self- determination in respect of one’s personal data.
Justice Dr D.Y Chandrachud in his landmark judgment on K.S
Puttuswamy v Union Of India , popularly known as the Aadhaar
[1]

case, very well have addressed the challenges to privacy which is dealt
in Article 21 of the Indian Constitution and also the constitutional
interpretation of liberty of an individual in the context of social order.
Policies & Legislations
Excessive data collection has a chilling effect on society narrowing
individual right to freedom of speech, Freedom of expression because
of the perceived threat. Privacy ‘sine qua non’(a thing that is
absolutely necessary), if infringed can be detrimental to democracy
limiting civil engagement.
Relevant Sections of the IT Act [4]

• Section 43A of the IT Act creates a liability on a body corporate

(including a firm, sole proprietorship or other association of individuals
engaged in commercial or professional activities) which possesses,
deals or handles any sensitive personal data or information in a
computer resource that it owns, controls or operates to pay damages
by way of compensation, to the person affected if there is any wrongful
loss or wrongful gain to any person caused because of the negligence
in implementing and maintaining reasonable security practices and
procedures to protect the information of the person affected.
• Section 72 A of the IT Act mentions that any person (including an
intermediary) who, while providing services under the terms of a lawful
contract, has secured access to any material containing personal
information about another person, with the intent of causing or
knowing that he is likely to cause wrongful loss or wrongful gain
discloses, without the consent of the person concerned, or in breach of
a lawful contract, such material to any other person, shall be punished
with imprisonment for a term which may extend to three years, or with
fine which may extend to five lakh rupees, or with both.
Current Policy of threat on Internet Privacy
in India
Currently, India’s most comprehensive legal provisions that speak to
privacy on the internet can be found in the Information Technology Act
(ITA) 2000. The ITA contains a number of provisions that can, in some
cases, safeguard online privacy, or in other cases, dilute online privacy.
Provisions that clearly protect user privacy include: penalizing child
pornography,penalizing, hacking and fraud and defining data
protection standards for body corporate.
Conclusion
As there is a vast advancement in technology with the widespread use
of the Internet for various things, a new threat has emerged against
the States which cannot be fought by armed forces. The growing
prominence of the right to privacy in the digital age would not have
occurred if there was a presence of a robust and expert civil
constituency. This is an era of technology where computers have
become an indispensable part of our lives where all data shared can
never stay anonymous from humble beginnings to entire businesses
being set up online we have come a far way. Our dependence on
technology has risen over the years and will continue to rise with ever-
changing development even when technology is surged to achieve
great heights yet our country does not have any specifically dedicated
law governing the noxious online data privacy.