These days, social media and sites like Netflix are the only sources of relief from the pandemic. Everyone has some digital presence - from workers, helpers to CEOs. - everyone’s data is safely stored online. However, the introduction of the new Information Technology rules in India changes things.
One might consider censorship on explicit content on OTT sites (Netflix, Amazon Prime, etc.) to be advantageous. However, the legal definition of 'explicit' is vague in this context, which leads to a multitude of questions. The IT rules will allow the Government to delete, block and modify content that does not follow the guidelines - but is this censorship necessary? Many films and TV shows criticise political parties, create conversation about harmful traditions and raise awareness about social issues; but, due to the vague wording of the laws, such content may be removed, essentially limiting the freedom of expression in India.
Furthermore, the law requires intermediaries such as Twitter and Whatsapp to self-regulate messages deemed as a 'threat' and identify the person behind the screen. This method of identification has severe consequences on our data privacy - not only is it an invasion of privacy based on what is considered acceptable by these intermediaries; it leads to the collapse of end-to-end encryption in messaging apps. Platforms like Whatsapp can't trace the originators of incriminating messages while maintaining the privacy of millions of Indians.
The most worrying aspect of this is the lack of approval from the Parliament: the central Government has notified and publicised these rules without any discussion under the Parliament making them unconstitutional. This brings us to the question - do these rules aim to censor or control free speech in India? Do these rules offer far too much power to the Government? And do you want your privacy to be breached the next time you open Whatsapp?
Think. Talk. Protest.