India's new Internet laws go against fundamental rights

India's new Internet laws go against fundamental right to freedom of speech

Ambiguous verbiage in the laws has dangerous implications on freedom of speech over the Internet. As MediNama points out, the rules are stringent and vague. Left to one’s interpretation of what is (politically) correct or incorrect, the ISP can be forced to bring down websites. Quoting one of the subrules in the new law:

Users shall not host, display, upload, modify, publish, transmit, update or share any information that is 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 [...]

users may not publish anything that threatens the unity, integrity, defence, security or sovereignty of India, friendly relations with foreign states, or or public order or causes incitement to the commission of any cognisable offence or prevents investigation of any offence or is insulting any other nation.

Source

A Guy

Great, God forbid anybody post their opinion on the internet.

I wonder what India's Judiciary will have to say about this draconian "law"? It is kinda ironic to me that as a huge chunk of humanity is fighting for more freedom (the middle east) other huge chunks seem bent on giving up freedoms (India, The United States).

seekermeister said:

Hmm, and I thought that India was a democracy.

Yes democracy, two wolves and a lamb deciding what's for dinner.