The Indian government has blocked over 30,000 web links, including social media links, accounts, channels, pages, apps, web pages, and websites since 2018 under the provisions of Section 69A of the Information Technology (IT) Act, 2000. The announcement was made by Electronics and IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Wednesday in a written statement to the Lok Sabha.
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Section 69A of the IT Act:
Section 69A of the IT Act provides the government with the power to issue directions for blocking access to information if it is necessary or expedient to do so in the interest of sovereignty and integrity, defense of India, security of the state, friendly relations with foreign states, or public order or for inciting a cognizable offense. The government has followed due process as envisaged in the Information Technology (Procedure and Safeguards for Blocking for Access of Information for Public) Rules, 2009, in blocking these web links.
The committee constituted under IT Rules examined a total of 41,172 URLs that were received from nodal officers in various ministries, departments, and states for blocking under Section 69A of the IT Act. Of these, blocking directions have been given for 30,310 URLs since 2018.
The Indian government has been using Section 69A of the IT Act to block web links that are deemed to be a threat to national security, public order, or friendly relations with foreign states. The government has the responsibility to ensure that the internet is used responsibly and is not misused to spread fake news or promote hate speech.
While the government has the right to block web links in the interest of the country, it is essential to ensure that the process is transparent and fair. The government must ensure that the guidelines for blocking web links are followed correctly, and the public is informed about the reasons for blocking these links.
