{"id":83048,"date":"2021-02-16T11:58:01","date_gmt":"2021-02-16T06:28:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.forumias.com\/?p=83048"},"modified":"2021-02-17T10:35:33","modified_gmt":"2021-02-17T05:05:33","slug":"need-of-reforming-the-blocking-powers-of-government","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/need-of-reforming-the-blocking-powers-of-government\/","title":{"rendered":"Need of reforming the blocking powers of Government"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><b>Synopsis<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: The government\u2019s use of is blocking powers under Section 69A of Information and Technology Act 2000 (I.T Act) attracted criticism. There is a need to reforms the <a href=\"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/criminalisation-of-government-criticisms-laws-and-issues\/\">blocking powers to ensure free speech<\/a> in Indian democracy.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Background<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/twitter-might-face-penal-action-under-it-act\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Twitter <\/span><b>suspended some user accounts<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> based on Emergency restriction orders issued by Government under<\/span><b> Section 69A. Govt. issued <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">this order in wake of violence in farmer\u2019s protest on 26th January in Delhi.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The apparent reason behind such an order was the use of a controversial hashtag #ModiPlanningFarmerGenocide. It could have disturbed the public order.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">However, later on, Twitter<\/span><b> reactivated <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">some of the accounts that didn\u2019t violate Indian law. It attracted a sharp reaction from the Indian Government. A<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/what-are-the-issues-in-governments-order-to-twitter\/\"><b> non-compliance order <\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">against Twitter and its employees was issued for violating Section 69A.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">At present, a <\/span><b>temporary peace has been established, after a <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">meeting between Twitter officials and the government<\/span><b>.<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>Government\u2019s power to block online users:<\/b><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/section-69a-of-it-act\/\"><b>Section 69A of I.T Act 2000<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">:<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It empowers the government to order an intermediary for blocking access to any information in the digital world.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The grounds for exercising the power are; threat to national security, public order, sovereignty and integrity of the country etc.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A punishment up to 7 years can be imposed on intermediaries who don\u2019t comply with the government\u2019s blocking orders.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Blocking Rules 2009<\/b>:\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It tells the <\/span><b>procedure <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">which needs to be followed for <\/span><b>blocking online content<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. As per these rules, the orders are subject to<\/span><b> review <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">by government committees. Further all orders and complaints should remain strictly <\/span><b>confidential<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: none;\"><b>Issues with Blocking Power<\/b>:<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ol>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: none;\">\n<ol>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>First, <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">the government can issue restricting orders without any evidence. It <\/span><b>undermines the Fundamental Right to free speech<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Second<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, the confidentiality of orders makes it very <\/span><b>difficult for users to challenge<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> it in open courts. There is no requirement of giving any reason or hearing opportunity is a clear <\/span><b>violation of due process.\u00a0<\/b><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Third, <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">These rules make censorship an easy and costless option. It places the burden of going to court and gathering the evidence on the user.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Fourth<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, The framing of section 69A is in such a way that protection of online free speech mainly <\/span><b>depends on the courage<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> shown by intermediaries against government\u2019s blocking orders.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p><b>Way Forward<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">:<\/span><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Reforms should take place in compliance with prior judgments of SC. In the <\/span><b>Shreya Singhal case<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, the court allowed challenges to blocking orders in high courts. In the <\/span><b>Kashmir Internet ban case<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, the court said any order restricting access to the internet should be put in the public domain.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The government should block access to information only when an affected party is given a fair hearing in courts. Direct blocking should be permissible only in emergency situations.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Blocking orders must be put in the public domain along with proper reasoning. The power of government to limit the flow of information needs to be rationalized.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">At present the extent of free speech depends upon the capacity of multinational social-media platforms to face governments. Twitter managed to stand up against a clear case of overreach. However, other companies may not show similar courage, especially in cases of borderline overreach thereby threatening free speech. Thus, the demand to ensure free speech must come from citizens themselves.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Synopsis: The government\u2019s use of is blocking powers under Section 69A of Information and Technology Act 2000 (I.T Act) attracted criticism. There is a need to reforms the blocking powers to ensure free speech in Indian democracy. Background: Twitter suspended some user accounts based on Emergency restriction orders issued by Government under Section 69A. Govt.&hellip; <a class=\"more-link\" href=\"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/need-of-reforming-the-blocking-powers-of-government\/\">Continue reading <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Need of reforming the blocking powers of Government<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":61,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1230,9],"tags":[1293,1435],"class_list":["post-83048","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-9-pm-daily-articles","category-public","tag-sec_1","tag-sec_5","entry"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","views":{"total":0,"cached_at":"","cached_date":1704845181},"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/83048","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/61"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=83048"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/83048\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=83048"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=83048"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=83048"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}