New Indian Website Regulation Puts Limits On Free Speech
New regulation set forth by the Indian Government, Ministry of Communications & Information Technology & The Department of Information Technology, puts limits on free speech for website content. The new rules, known as Information Technology (Intermediaries guidelines) Rules, require websites and ISPs to remove content found objectionable by officials and private citizens. Any content deemed “disparaging,” “harassing,” “blasphemous” or “hateful" in some way must be removed according to law. The laws also state that objectionable content includes anything that “threatens the unity, integrity, defense, security or sovereignty of India, friendly relations with foreign states or public order.”
Free speech advocates and citizens have begun to protest the new legislation -- saying that it could place serious limitations on debate and discussions taking place online.
The Center For Internet And Society published a list of 11 websites that the Indian Government acknowledged that they blocked:
- https://www.zone-h.org
- https://donotdial100.webs.com
- https://www.bloggernews.net/124029 [accessible from Tata DSL, but not from others like Reliance Broadband and BSNL Broadband]
- https://www.google.co.in/#h1=en&source=hp&biw=1276&bih=843&=dr+babasaheb+ambedkar+wallpaper&aq=4&aqi=g10&aql=&oq=dr+babas&gs_rfai=&fp=e791fe993fa412ba
- https://www.cinemahd.net/desktop-enhancements/wallpaper/23945-wallpapers-beautiful-girl-wallpaper.html
- https://www.chakpak.com/find/images/kamasutra-hindi-movie
- https://www.submitlink.khatana.net/2010/09/jennifer-stano-is-engaged-to.html
- https://www.result.khatana.net/2010/11/im-no-panty-girl-yana-gupta-wardrobe.html
- https://www.facebook.com/pages/l-Hate-Ambedkar/172025102828076
- https://www.indybay.org
- https://arizona.indymedia.org
SOURCE:
https://www.cis-india.org/advocacy/igov/blog/rti-response-dit-blocking
NY TIMES
