[PLUG] Fwd: Petition to protect our freedom of speech in the Internet [OT]

[Arun Khan]

FYI -

--
Arun Khan

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Prasanth Sugathan <>
Date: Wed, Aug 17, 2011 at 5:43 PM
Subject: [ilugd] Petition to protect our freedom of speech in the Internet [OT]
To: ilugd at lists.linux-delhi.org


Dear friends,

The Central Government has on 11th April 2011, notified the new Information
Technology (Intermediaries Guidelines) Rules, 2011 prescribing various
guiding principles to be observed by all intermediaries. The rules cast an
obligation on the intermediaries to remove access to any content on
receiving a complaint from an affected person that it falls under the
category of a wide, vague list of “unlawful” content specified in the rules.
This vague list includes content considered as 'blasphemous', 'libellous',
'grossly harmful', 'harassing', or 'disparaging'.

The new rules in the current form:

  - Lead to a clamp down on the freedom of speech and expression enshrined
  in the Constitution of India by providing for a system of pre-censorship /
  self-censorship by non-state actors;
  - adversely affect the right to privacy of citizens by allowing
  Government agencies to access their information residing with the
  intermediaries;
  - will severely hamper the growth of internet penetration in India, and
  consequently lead to a slowdown of economic growth;
  - limit the growth of various IT related industries and services (in
  particular cyber cafes, search engines and bloggers).


Please sign the petition at
http://www.softwarefreedom.in/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=97&Itemid=83to
appeal to the Government to amend the rules at the earliest.

ACT NOW - PROTECT OUR FREEDOM !!!


Regards,

Prasanth Sugathan

Software Freedom Law Center
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