MediaNama has filed an RTI seeking disclosure of submissions made during the consultation on the IT Amendment Rules, spotlighting concerns over transparency and accountability in the government’s rule-making process. With sweeping digital regulations now in force, the lack of visibility into stakeholder inputs raises a critical question: who really shaped these rules—and on what basis? #Deepfake #MeitY #platformregulation #RTI medianama.com/2026/03/223-rt…

Data flows out, value flows away: Indonesia’s digital trade paradox - Academia - The Jakarta Post #jakpost bit.ly/3Ptl9oM

Nepal’s evolving digital landscape highlights a growing tension between constitutional guarantees of privacy and access to information, and a fragmented, outdated data governance framework. In a recent article published in @RepublicaNepal on March 17, 2026, Avash Mainali, Country Researcher for Nepal under LIRNEasia’s D4D Asia project, discusses how the introduction of the Personal Data Protection Policy, 2082 (2025), marks a positive step. However, its impact will depend on whether it moves beyond aspirational language to enforceable rights. As digital services rapidly expand, he emphasizes that building public trust through accountable and secure data governance will be essential to ensure that innovation supports, rather than undermines, Nepal’s democratic future. Read the full article on The Republica: myrepublica.nagariknetwork.com/news/nepals-di… #DigitalGovernance #DataProtection #PrivacyRights #DataPolicy #DigitalRights #AccessToInformation #LIRNEasia #D4DAsia #Nepal

In an article published on The News Pakistan, @AslamhayatAslam, Senior Policy Fellow at LIRNEasia, highlights the critical role of #DataGovernance in supporting #Pakistan’s growing ambitions in #ArtificialIntelligence. Reflecting on discussions during Pakistan’s #IndusAIWeek, he notes that while #AI offers opportunities to improve productivity, create economic value, and strengthen public sector services, its success depends on reliable data and strong governance frameworks. Hayat points out that in Pakistan, many of the most consequential datasets are held by the state or by regulated sectors. Therefore, without clear frameworks governing how such data is collected, shared, and safeguarded, AI systems risk reinforcing existing inequalities, producing unreliable outcomes, and weakening public trust in digital governance. He emphasizes that strengthening #DataProtection, improving the quality and #Interoperability of public sector data, and ensuring #Transparency in high-impact AI systems are essential to building trustworthy and #ResponsibleAI in Pakistan. Read the full article on The News Pakistan: thenews.pk/print/1403620-…

In an op-ed article published in the @BangkokPostNews, Jompon Pitaksantayothin, PhD, Country Researcher for #Thailand at LIRNEasia’s D4DAsia Project, discusses the growing tensions between #Privacy and #Transparency in Thailand’s #DataGovernance following the introduction of the Personal Data Protection Act. He highlights how overlapping #DataProtection and #TransparencyLaws have led government agencies to rely on broad secrecy provisions or misinterpret data protection rules to deny access to information, while citizens remain uncertain about how their personal data is safeguarded, particularly in cases of data breaches. He calls for stronger coordination among institutions such as the Personal Data Protection Committee and the Digital Government Development Agency to harmonize Thailand’s data governance laws and establish a clear framework that balances privacy protection with the public’s right to information. Read the full article in the Bangkok Post: bangkokpost.com/opinion/opinio…