The Indian Express: Pune: Saturday, 30 July 2022.
A total of 1,482 websites or URLs were blocked by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeiTY) from January to March 2022, revealed an RTI query filed by Software Freedom Legal Central (SFLC.in), a legal policy firm. The blocked sites include all types of URLs such as webpages, websites and pages on social media platforms.
These websites were blocked citing Section 69A of the Information Technology (IT) Act, 2000. The Section states that any agency of the government or any intermediary can be asked to block the access of information for the public “in the interest of sovereignty and integrity of India, defence of India, security of the State, friendly relations with foreign states or public order or for preventing incitement to the commission of any cognisable offence relating to above”.
“Section 69A of the Information Technology Act has been used time and again by the Government to censor content, often in violation of the provisions of the section which mention limited grounds for blocking of access to any information,” said Prasanth Sugathan, Legal Director at SFLC.in.
A total of 1,482 websites or URLs were blocked by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeiTY) from January to March 2022, revealed an RTI query filed by Software Freedom Legal Central (SFLC.in), a legal policy firm. The blocked sites include all types of URLs such as webpages, websites and pages on social media platforms.
These websites were blocked citing Section 69A of the Information Technology (IT) Act, 2000. The Section states that any agency of the government or any intermediary can be asked to block the access of information for the public “in the interest of sovereignty and integrity of India, defence of India, security of the State, friendly relations with foreign states or public order or for preventing incitement to the commission of any cognisable offence relating to above”.
“Section 69A of the Information Technology Act has been used time and again by the Government to censor content, often in violation of the provisions of the section which mention limited grounds for blocking of access to any information,” said Prasanth Sugathan, Legal Director at SFLC.in.