Topic
Freedom of Speech and Expression
416 items.
25 Mar 2015
News
Supreme Court Strikes Down Section 66A Of IT ActIn a major boost to freedom of speech online in India, the Supreme Court on Tuesday struck down Section 66A of the Information Technology Act, reading down a draconian law that was poorly conceived, tragically worded and caused ordinary …
25 Mar 2015
News
Netizens Rejoice Over SC Ruling to Keep the Net FreeThe Supreme Court ruling to strike down Section 66A of the Information Technology (IT) Act has been welcomed by the city’s netizens.
25 Mar 2015
News
Indian Supreme Court Overturns Law Barring ‘Offensive Messages’ OnlineIndia’s Supreme Court on Tuesday struck down legislation barring “offensive messages” online, saying it violated constitutional guarantees of free expression.
25 Mar 2015
News
India High Court: No Takedown Requests On Social Sites Without Court, Gov't OrderIndian police will no longer be able to threaten Internet users and online intermediaries with jail merely on the basis of a complaint that they have posted “offensive” posts online.
25 Mar 2015
News
‘A safe Internet and a free Internet can co-exist’Striking down of 66A kicked off celebrations in the IT capital.
24 Mar 2015
Blog post
No more 66A!In a landmark decision, the Supreme Court has struck down Section 66A. Today was a great day for freedom of speech on the Internet! When Section 66A was in operation, if you made a statement that led to offence, you could be prosecuted. We …
17 Mar 2015
Blog post
What Does Facebook's Transparency Report Tell Us About the Indian Government's Record on Free Expression & Privacy?Given India's online population, the number of user data requests made by the Indian government aren't very high, but the number of content restriction requests are not only high on an absolute number, but even on a per-user basis.
17 Mar 2015
News
If you thought India is a country where freedom of speech and expression are fundamental rights, think twice!Having contributed significantly in growing pollution and corruption indices, there's one place where India seems to hold the top spot is: imposing restrictions on social media contents. There have been over 5,800 restriction requests …
5 Feb 2015
News
Section 66A not for curbing freedom of speech, govt saysSection designed to fight cybercrime and protect the right to life, central government tells Supreme Court.
6 Jan 2015
Blog post
Indian Netizens Criticize Online Censorship of ‘Jihadi’ ContentThe article on online censorship by Subhashish Panigrahi was published in Global Voices on January 6, 2015.
3 Jan 2015
News
Indian Government still blocks 20+ websites – Indian Censorship on InternetIndian Government has blocked 20+ major websites to counter ISIS propaganda. The government has removed blocking of github.com, vimeo.com and other 10+ websites blocked till December 31, 2014.
3 Jan 2015
News
India 'jihadi' web blocking causes angerA government block on more than 30 high-profile websites has caused anger across India.
3 Jan 2015
News
Govt cracks down on cyber jehad network, blocks access to 32 websitesThe Modi government is starting the New Year with the resolve to wipe out terror and it has cracked down on websites that have been carrying anti-India views and spreading the propaganda of the Islamic State (IS).
2 Jan 2015
News
Vimeo, DailyMotion, Pastebin Among Sites Blocked In India For 'Anti-India' Content From ISISThe Indian government has convinced ISPs to block dozens of popular websites accused of hosting “anti-India” content posted by members of the Islamic State group, also known as ISIS or ISIL.
2 Jan 2015
News
Internet users fume as govt blocks 32 sitesThe Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has ordered Internet service providers to block 32 websites, in cluding popular video-sharing plat forms such as Dailymotion and Vimeo, reportedly over concerns that they are being misused by …
2 Jan 2015
News
Govt blocks 32 websites, including Vimeo and GithubThe websites that have been blocked were based on an advisory by Anti Terrorism Squad, and were carrying anti-India content from ISIS.
2 Jan 2015
News
Government blocks over 60 websites including github & sourceforge on anti-terror advisoryOver 60 websites and links, including popular online tools like Github and Sourceforge used by thousands of programmers have been blocked in India, triggering angry protests by Internet users.
2 Jan 2015
News
Government blocks 32 websites to check ISIS propagandaThe Centre has blocked 32 websites, including vimeo.com, dailymotion.com, pastebin.com and github.com, in an effort to curb ISIS propaganda, prompting a wave of online protests.
2 Jan 2015
News
DoT Reportedly Orders Blocking of 32 Websites Including GitHub, Archive.org, SourceForgeMany users on Twitter are claiming that several websites, including many software development resources such as GitHub and SourceForge, along with research resources like the Internet Archive have all been blocked on order of the Department …
2 Jan 2015
News
Centre blocks 32 websites for security reasons, restores some laterThe Centre on Wednesday asked Internet Service Providers (ISP) to block 32 websites citing national security concerns, especially from terror group ISIS.
15 Dec 2014
Blog post
Overview of the Constitutional Challenges to the IT ActThere are currently ten cases before the Supreme Court challenging various provisions of the Information Technology Act, the rules made under that, and other laws, that are being heard jointly. Advocate Gopal Sankaranarayanan who's arguing …
11 Dec 2014
Blog post
Is India’s website-blocking law constitutional? – I. Law & procedureSection 69A of the Information Technology Act, 2000, along with its corresponding Rules, set out the procedure for blocking of websites in India. Over two posts, Geetha Hariharan examines the constitutional validity of Section 69A and the …
4 Nov 2014
News
E-Consultation on Cyber Security, Justice, and Governance Begins!Sunil Abraham facilitated the e-consultation on "Internet access, the freedom of expression online, and development in the Global South" at the event organized by the Hague Institute for Global Justice.
28 Oct 2014
Blog post
Good Intentions, Recalcitrant Text - I: Why India’s Proposal at the ITU is Troubling for Internet FreedomsThe UN's International Telecommunications Union (ITU) is hosting its Plenipotentiary Conference (PP-14) this year in South Korea. At PP-14, India introduced a new draft resolution on ITU's Role in Realising Secure Information Society. The …
22 Sep 2014
Blog post
Report on CIS' Workshop at the IGF:'An Evidence Based Framework for Intermediary Liability'An evidence based framework for intermediary liability' was organised to present evidence and discuss ongoing research on the changing definition, function and responsibilities of intermediaries across jurisdictions.
17 Jul 2014
Blog post
GNI and IAMAI Launch Interactive Slideshow Exploring Impact of India's Internet LawsThe Global Network Initiative and the Internet and Mobile Association of India have come together to explain how India’s Internet and technology laws impact economic innovation and freedom of expression.
7 Jul 2014
Blog post
Free Speech and SurveillanceGautam Bhatia examines the constitutionality of surveillance by the Indian state.
4 Jul 2014
Blog post
Facebook and its Aversion to Anonymous and Pseudonymous SpeechJessamine Mathew explores Facebook's "real name" policy and its implications for the right to free speech.
30 Jun 2014
Blog post
An Evidence based Intermediary Liability Policy Framework: Workshop at IGFCIS is organising a workshop at the Internet Governance Forum 2014. The workshop will be an opportunity to present and discuss ongoing research on the changing definition of intermediaries and their responsibilities across jurisdictions and …
25 Jun 2014
Blog post
Free Speech and Civil DefamationDoes defamation become a tool in powerful hands to suppress criticism? Gautam Bhatia examines the strict and unrealistic demands of defamation law, and concludes that defamation suits are a weapon to silence dissent and bad press.