Technology events that made headlines in 2012

The year 2012 was by no means a year of quantum leaps in the world of technology. Yet, technology news consistently hit headlines — be it globally where tech policy debates in the U.S. Senate pitted big entertainment companies, and their lobbies, against Internet users, or closer home, where Internet service providers arbitrarily cut access to simple video-sharing sites and the streets swelled in protests against the perceived affront to ‘free speech’ online by a draconian law.

As we bid adieu to this eventful year, we bring you a selection of technology news that we read through the year, updates on some of them and some perspective on the way forward. By no means exhaustive, the list is a mix of news both Indian and global, of gadgets and technologies and praxis and policy. The list is not ranked in any particular order.

Free speech on the Web

The IT Act, a legislation that governs all things Internet in India, was in the news for all the wrong reasons. The low point indeed was the arrest of two young girls in Mumbai, for their innocuous status update about a bandh enforced by the Shiv Sena, following the death of Sena chief Bal Thackeray. Earlier this year, a Jadavpur University professor was arrested for merely sharing on email a cartoon with a satirical take on West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Bannerjee's style of functioning; cartoonist Aseem Trivedi's website was shut down and he was arrested; and more recently, a Twitter user was arrested in Puducherry for making corruption allegations against Finance Minister P. Chidambaram’s son, Karthi, in a tweet. Following the Mumbai arrests, netizens and rights activists took to the streets to protest the arbitrary use of the legislation.

Earlier in June, another spate of protests were held, led by the online hackers collective Anonymous, following a John Doe order by the Madras High Court over a piracy complaint leading several Internet service providers to block online content and video-sharing sites. An annulment motion was introduced in Parliament, following which the government promised a review of the law and the Intermediaries Guidelines (2011). Internet firms too supported this call after Union IT and Telecom Minister Kapil Sibal used these guidelines to lay the onus of “pre-screening” posts and messages for “offensive and hurtful” content.

Most recently, the government, in a bid to increase awareness among law enforcement authorities, has issued guidelines on registering complaints under the controversial section.

The flip side: misinformation

All along, the government argued that the internet must be regulated, like all other media, because it too could be misused to spread misinformation or hate. Them, and other advocates of tighter controls on the Web, were somewhat vindicated when the near-mass exodus of northeast Indians from cities such as Bangalore and Pune was attributed to misinformation and false rumours spread via SMS and social networks. Messages and false rumours on a communal backlash triggered wide-spread panic, leading thousands to pack up, leaving behind their jobs and livelihoods, and head home. Though some arrests were made for sending out these SMSs and rumour mongering on the web, the jury is still out on whether technology was the culprit, or it merely exacerbated existing fears and insecurities on the ground.

And 'Clicktivism'

2012 also proved that social media had arrived as a means to build public opinion, gather support and actually organise mass protests and gatherings. Most recently, Twitter and Facebook were used effectively to coordinate protests in Delhi over the gang-rape of a 23-year-old physiotherapy student. Other campaigns such as Kony2012 proved that ‘clicktivism’ — a term used moWstly in the pejorative to talk about movements that revolve around the click of a mouse — was here to stay. And whether it’s your neighbourhood pothole or weightier concerns such as female foeticide or rape laws, online petitions have become the norm.

The SOPA opera

This story, about a U.S. policy decision to crack down on copyrighted content, proved two things: one, the Internet is truly global in nature, and two, the controls of the Internet are indeed with the U.S. That the proposed legislations — the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) and the Protect IP Act — equipped the U.S. government to act against any website hosting content that it believes infringes copyrights, even those hosted overseas, made it a global issue. It pitted big entertainment businesses against the internet user across the world. Further, the fact that this action could involve the domain name system, which lies at the technological core of the internet, also had huge implications for the stability of the web.

Both legislations were repealed after Internet users — led by major internet corporations, giving it a 'entertainment/media houses vs web business' angle — rose in protest. Several Internet services, most notably Wikipedia, blacked out their sites and services to protest the clampdown.

Around the same time, the U.S. government also shut down the popular file-sharing site MegaUpload, again in an attempt to stop alleged copyright violations, rekindling the debate on IP and piracy.

IP wars in courtrooms

The buzz around ‘smart’ devices this year was less about innovation and more about courtroom battles. Most notably, tech major Apple and Korean electronics giant Samsung were locked in over 50 patent lawsuits in 10 countries. Some of these lawsuits were over features as trivial as the shape of the screen, an interface layout or even the unlock feature. Though Apple — which sued Samsung for infringing both design and utility patents — won a major round with Samsung having to pay over $ 1 billion in damages, Samsung managed to dodge a ban on the sales of its products. Samsung too has been suing Apple, among other mobile players, with its wireless patents (on 3G/4GLTE).

The loser, of course, at the end of the day is the consumer who can only hope that companies throw their weight behind innovation, a key product of which could also be affordability.

iHits and iFlops

No tech wrap-ups can be complete without the glitzy Apple releases. Minus showman Steve Jobs, Apple’s launches lost their sheen. However, the iPhone 5 did managed to impress with its sleeker body and slicker interfaces. Later, the iPad Mini, the much-awaited compact version of the iPad that aims at capturing the low-end market, also created a buzz.

But by far, the most-talked-about tech dud of the year was the iOS6, which did away with Google Maps. Apple’s own maps were buggy and all over the place, so much so that entire websites were dedicated to recording the faux pas the Maps threw up. Deserts located in towns, cities mapped in the ocean and so on; the quick and untested release irked Apple users, so much so that many refused to upgrade until a Google Maps app was released earlier this month.

Meanwhile, Google released turn-by-turn navigation and traffic updates in 15 major cities in India, reinforcing its position as the top choice as far as internet maps go.

Facebook's IPO/Instagram outrage

Social media giant Facebook finally went public this year. Months within it hitting the one billion user mark — making it the third most populous country, after India and China — Facebook’s shares opened at $38. The shares have reportedly fallen by a fourth over the last six months.

In another fiasco, weeks within acquiring the hugely popular photo application Instagram, Facebook announced a tweak in its ‘Terms of Service’. Its declaration that the company could monetise user content by selling user’s photographs to advertisers created quite a stir among Instagram users. The wide outrage online led Facebook to revoke this policy and tender an apology of sorts.

Oppa, Gangnam Style!

In July this year, a short music video uploaded in South Korea made headlines for its catchy tune, hilarious video and choreography, and its subversive subtext. Last week, ‘Gangnam Style’, by Korean pop star Psy, became the first video ever to cross the 1 billion views mark on YouTube. Now, whether it's his apologies to the United States for an anti-war song he sang long before he became a viral hit or his controversial appearance in a Japanese Manga comic, Psy himself has become the headline!