Support the Annulment Motion to Protect Internet Freedom

The Government of India last year notified a set of rules that  would significantly change the face of the internet in India. The Information Technology (Intermediaries Guidelines) Rules 2011 have ended up imposing a strict set of restrictions on users. According to the rules, intermediaries sites like Google, Yahoo, Facebook etc.- are to remove any content that can be interpreted as being ?grossly harmful, harassing, blasphemous, defamatory, obscene, pornographic, paedophilic, libellous, invasive of another's privacy, hateful, or racially, ethnically objectionable, disparaging, relating or encouraging money laundering or gambling, or otherwise unlawful in any manner, within 36 hours of a complaint being received.

However, neither the notification nor the IT Act clearly defines any of these terms. Thus a big question mark exists on the way these rules are going to be implemented. These rules could result in intermediaries taking down almost any kind of content which is critical of say the government or a corporate firm. What is more shocking is that there is no process of appeal if such content is taken down either.

Thus we see that our freedom to comment and criticise, which is a key part of freedom of expression is in danger. It is in this context that Member of Parliament of the Rajya Sabha P . Rajeev has moved a statutory motion seeking to get these rules annulled. Organisations and groups all over India have joined the movement seeking the withdrawal of these rules and the framing of new rules which ensure that there is no censorship of any kind and that our freedom of expression on the internet is protected.

Free Software Foundation, Tamil Nadu calls on the vibrant community of internet users in Tamil Nadu to rise in support of this campaign to protect our freedom. You can begin by signing this online petition which is being circulated all over the country

http://www.change.org/petitions/mps-of-india-support-the-annulment-motion-to-protect-internet-freedom-stopitrules

You can also write or blog about this and spread the campaign on social media forums.

To Know more on Intermediary Rules, read the FAQs at below link

http://softwarefreedom.in/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=129