News & Media
The flaw in cyber law
Legal experts and netizens want the controversial clause in the IT Act to be scrapped after two Mumbai girls were arrested for a post on Facebook.
Govt tweaks enforcement of IT Act after spate of arrests
The government on Thursday tweaked the law to make it tougher for citizens to be arrested for online comments that are deemed offensive after recent arrests came in for heavy criticism by Internet activists, the media and other groups.
Yes, You Can Get Arrested for a Facebook Status Update Now
A 21-year-old Indian woman thought Mumbai shouldn't have been shutdown for the funeral of an Islamophobic leader. Broadcasting such opinions on Facebook was apparently grounds for arrest.
Interview with Pranesh Prakash
Pranesh Prakash of the Centre for Internet and Society talks to Mint’s Surabhi Agarwal about the controversial Section 66A of the IT Act and the government’s decision to tweak it.
Thousands go online against 66A
An online petition aimed at amending section 66A of the Information Technology (IT) Act and re-examining internet laws has garnered 3,000 signatures since it began on Tuesday — two days before Kapil Sibal, telecom and IT minister, chairs a meeting with the cyber regulation advisory committee.
Amnesty International calls for review of 66A of IT act
The review seeks to bring the Act in line with international human rights law standards on freedom of expression.
Indians Rank Second For Online Snooping
Indians rank second globally when it comes to seeking details of private individuals online, as per Google transparency report.
Indian government at second position after U.S.A for demanding user data from Google
The Indian government has secured 2nd position in the list of the governments demanding for Web user information. It is behind only from the United States government.
25 Indians to watch
From a political scion and an attacking batsman to a crusading web entrepreneur and a ‘Potato Prince’, these are India’s rising stars.
Facebook Arrests Ignite Free-Speech Debate In India
Shaheen Dhada is an unlikely looking protagonist in the battle under way in India to protect free speech from government restrictions in the new media age.
Civil society & industry oppose India’s plans to modify ITRs
Industry fears ITU control over Internet; excessive content control and surveillance an issue for civil society.
Google's 'Transparency Report' sketchy, inconclusive: Government
Google calls it the 'Transparency Report', but as far as Indian authorities are concerned, it is anything but. The world's largest Internet company this week published its latest half-yearly findings on government requests for access to personal information, showing that both the number of requests and the rate of denials have risen. The data, according to the world's largest democracy, are too sketchy for any clear conclusions to be drawn.
The Last Word: Is there a need to review Information Technology Act?
Does the high-handed arrest of two young girls mean it's time to review and revise the IT Act?
Women Arrested in Mumbai for Complaining on Facebook
For over 30 hours following the death of the Shiv Sena leader Bal Thackeray on Saturday, stores throughout Mumbai closed their shutters and taxis and autorickshaws stayed off the streets.
India's Shame: World Reacts to FB Post Arrest
The arrest of 21 year old Shaheen Dhada for posting anti-Bal Thackeray comments has not only outraged Indians. The story has been picked up and reported across international media as well. Though they may not be aware of the complexities of Indian politics, the fact that young girls were arrested for an FB post has got them questioning the dwindling tolerance for the freedom of speech in India.
How to Steer Clear of India’s Strict Internet Laws
The arrest of two women in Mumbai for a Facebook post is the latest heavy-handed move by India’s government to curb what Indian citizens say on the Internet.
What Frameworks for Cross-Border Online Communities and Services
Chinmayi Arun, Assistant Professor at National Law University India and Fellow at the CIS India, talks about the Internet Governance Forum 2012 Workshop 154 "What Frameworks for Cross-Border Online Communities and Services", which was hosted by the Internet & Jurisdiction Project on November 8, 2012.
Arrest of girl over Thackeray FB update a clear misuse of Sec 295A
The arrest of 21-year-old Shaheen Dhada over her Facebook status update questioning the shutdown of Mumbai over Shiv Sena supremo Bal Thackeray‘s death, is a clear misapplication of section 295 A of the Indian Penal Code (“outrage religious feelings of any class”), according to Pranesh Prakash of the Centre for Internet and Society.
Arrests over Facebook posts: Why we’re on a dangerous slide
The most bizarre thing about the arrest of Shaheen Dhada and Renu Srinivasan on Monday over a Facebook post that questioned the wisdom of a bandh to mark Shiv Sena leader Bal Thackeray‘s death is that no laws were actually violated by the post.
Internet users flay Mumbai girls' arrest over Facebook post
The arrest of two girls over their Facebook post on shutdown in Mumbai for Bal Thackeray's funeral on Monday again opened a can of worms with netizens calling the move a "social media hijack by the powerful and the fundamentalists". Social media was abuzz with tweets and posts about the arrest, with most referring to the arrest as yet another move to curb freedom of speech on the Internet.
