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Krishnesh Bapat

Krishnesh Bapat

sedition

In a petition filed by the Journalist Union of Assam, Supreme Court directs governments to not use Section 124A

tl;dr It is official. The Supreme Court has stayed the operation of Section 124-A [https://indiankanoon.org/doc/1641007/]of the Indian Penal Code, 1860 (‘IPC’) which criminalises speech that excites or attempts to excite ‘disaffection, hatred or contempt’ against the Government established by law. Through its interim order [https://drive.google.com/file/d/1l7VXeIh09ZaGS_Ri1JDGJ3b_QookPW2l/view?usp=sharing] dated May 11, 2022 (‘Order’), which goes a long way in protecting the freedom of speech
11 May, 2022
6 min read
Krishnesh BapatKrishnesh Bapat & Anandita MishraAnandita Mishra
RTI

Revealed: MeitY blocked 6096 URLs and 347 applications in 2021 but held less than 40 hearings

In reply to an RTI, MeitY has accepted that it blocked 6096 URLs and 347 applications in 2021 but held less than 40 hearings. MeitY refused to disclose the number of requests it received to block content and stated that it did not maintain data on how many content creators were granted a hearing.
23 April, 2022
5 min read
Krishnesh BapatKrishnesh Bapat
IT Rules

Bangladesh's Proposed Regulation = Indian IT Rules, 2021. Overreaching, invasive and suppressive.

The regulator in Bangladesh invited comments on draft rules which are similar to IT Rules, 2021. In response, IFF has submitted a report which details India's experience with IT Rules, 2021.
14 March, 2022
3 min read
Krishnesh BapatKrishnesh Bapat
accesstointernet

Calcutta HC stays internet shutdown issued by West Bengal Government

Calcutta HC has stayed an internet shutdown order dated 03.03.2022 issued by the State of West Bengal. The HC was of the view that the order was not issued by a competent authority. The order was stayed in a petition filed by Ashlesh Biradar. IFF provided legal support.
10 March, 2022
4 min read
Krishnesh BapatKrishnesh Bapat & Anandita MishraAnandita Mishra
4GforAll

Revealed: Rajasthan’s Review Committee does not meet or review internet suspension orders. #KeepItOn

In response to an RTI Application, the State of Rajasthan has stated that their review committee does not meet or review internet shutdown orders. This is contrary to Rule 2(6) of Telecom Suspension Rules, 2017. We have filed a first appeal seeking clarity from the State.
07 March, 2022
4 min read
Krishnesh BapatKrishnesh Bapat
accesstointernet

IFF provides inputs to UN on Internet Shutdowns

The submission to United Nations analyses the legal basis of internet shutdowns in India, the instances of disruptions, their impact on human rights and the efforts by the Indian Government to improve internet connectivity.
11 February, 2022
4 min read
Krishnesh BapatKrishnesh Bapat
internet shutdowns

A challenge to internet shutdown rules: Gauhati HC agrees to hear IFF's application

Gauhati High Court agreed to hear IFF's application question rules which empower the government to suspend internet services without any judicial/independent oversight.
13 January, 2022
4 min read
Krishnesh BapatKrishnesh Bapat
facial recognition

Telangana High Court issues notice in India’s first legal challenge to the deployment of Facial Recognition Technology

Telangana High Court has issued notice in a petition by Mr. S.Q. Masood challenging the deployment of Facial Recognition Technology in Telangana. IFF provided legal support.
03 January, 2022
6 min read
Krishnesh BapatKrishnesh Bapat
year in review

2021: A year of standing for your digital rights in courts

> > > > As a digital liberties organisation, IFF’s mission statement is to ensure that Indian citizens can use the internet with liberties guaranteed by the Constitution. To that end, we engage in strategic litigation to defend the rights of the litigants that approach us and make incremental changes in society. In 2020, as all of us relied on digital connections more than ever, issues such as access to the internet, surveillance, censorship and data protection gained prominence. IFF rose t
27 December, 2021
10 min read
Tanmay SinghTanmay Singh, Anandita MishraAnandita Mishra & Krishnesh BapatKrishnesh Bapat

IFF wrote to the MHA and the DOT seeking implementation of the recommendations made on internet shutdowns by the Standing Committee on Communication and Information Technology

> > > > tl;dr The Standing Committee on Communication and Information Technology (‘Standing Committee’) released its report on ‘Suspension of telecom services/internet and its impact [http://164.100.47.193/lsscommittee/Communications%20and%20Information%20Technology/17_Communications_and_Information_Technology_26.pdf] (‘Report’) on December 1, 2021 highlighting several important recommendations taking into account the guidelines issued by the Supreme Court in Anuradha Bhasin v Union of Ind
22 December, 2021
4 min read
Krishnesh BapatKrishnesh Bapat & Anandita MishraAnandita Mishra

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