“I didn’t start with a grand plan,” Lakshmi says, adjusting her bottu (vermillion) as she sits on a wooden cot. “My husband bought a used mobile phone for my son’s online classes. When he went to the city for work, I started experimenting. But the moment people saw a camera, they froze. The aunties would cover their faces. The pattas (village elders) would ask if I was ‘doing YouTube.’ So, I hid the phone—in the folds of my pallu , behind the brass kalasham , inside the empty grain silo.”
: Encourage research into the causes and consequences of digital privacy violations and educate the public about digital safety.
Andhra Pradesh, with its rich cultural heritage and rapidly growing digital infrastructure, has seen a rise in digital content creation across various platforms. The state's youth are particularly active on social media, contributing to and consuming a wide range of content. However, this digital engagement has also led to instances of privacy violations, including the creation and sharing of secret camera videos or images of women.