Catergory

IT Rules, 2021

RTI

TOP SECRET: MIB furnishes list of digital news media publishers and OTT platforms that submitted their details under IT Rules, 2021

In response to a CIC order in a Second Appeal filed by IFF, MIB furnished a list of 3,101 digital news media publishers and 57 OTT platforms that submitted their details to MIB.
17 May, 2023
5 min read
Gayatri MalhotraGayatri Malhotra
PIB FCU

@PIBFCU, check your inbox, you got mail.

The Press Information Bureau’s (PIB) online Fact Check Unit (FCU) account claimed that an article published by The Wire, and authored by two IFF staffers, is misleading. We wrote to them seeking clarification on these claims.
26 April, 2023
5 min read
Tejasi PanjiarTejasi Panjiar & Prateek WaghrePrateek Waghre
IT Amendment Rules

Statement on the notification of the IT Amendment Rules, 2023

IFF's statement on the notified IT Amendment Rules, 2023, in relation to online gaming and fact checking by a government unit. Read our concerns regarding the impact on online free speech here.
06 April, 2023
2 min read
Tejasi PanjiarTejasi Panjiar & Prateek WaghrePrateek Waghre
IT Amendment Rules

1 month of the GAC felt like a lifetime! We wrote to them seeking answers.

MeitY established three Grievance Appellate Committee(s) (“GAC”) on January 27, 2023 under Rule 3A of the notified IT Amendment Rules, 2022. We wrote to the Chairpersons of the three Committees, seeking clarification about the GAC’s establishment and functioning.
05 April, 2023
3 min read
Tejasi PanjiarTejasi Panjiar & Prateek WaghrePrateek Waghre
IT Rules, 2021

A Silver Lining? We wrote to the Rajya Sabha Committee ahead of its consideration of the IT Rules, 2021

The Rajya Sabha Committee on Subordinate Legislation is meeting on March 27, 2023, to consider the IT Rules, 2021 and its subsequent amendments. We wrote to them expressing our gratitude for their consideration of the Rules, while citing our concerns as well as the impact on online free speech.
27 March, 2023
5 min read
Tejasi PanjiarTejasi Panjiar & Prateek WaghrePrateek Waghre
RTI

CIC directs MIB to provide the list of news publishers who have submitted their details under the IT Rules, 2021.

tl;dr IFF filed an RTI application with the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting (MIB) to obtain information on notices sent to publishers of news media under Rule 18 of the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021 (IT Rules, 2021). While the MIB stated that 2100 publishers have provided their details under the IT Rules, it refused to provide any other information under the RTI application, such as the number of notices sent,
16 March, 2023
4 min read
Gayatri MalhotraGayatri Malhotra
BBCDocumentary

Censorship, Surveys, and Seizures: Developments around the BBC Documentary

The MIB banned re-sharing & uploading of links of the BBC Documentary using emergency powers under the IT Rules, 2021. The Income Tax Department carried out 3 day long survey operations at the BBC India offices in Delhi & Mumbai. We elaborate on our concerns with these actions in this post.
03 March, 2023
7 min read
Tejasi PanjiarTejasi Panjiar & Prateek WaghrePrateek Waghre
IT Rules, 2021

We fact check the PIB fact checking amendments

Our response to the proposed amendment in relation to PIB's fact checking powers highlights the concerns pertaining, but not limited to executive overreach, ambiguity in definitions, violation of the Supreme Court’s Shreya Singhal judgement and barriers in the consultation process.
06 February, 2023
8 min read
Tejasi PanjiarTejasi Panjiar & Prateek WaghrePrateek Waghre
IT Rules, 2021

MeitY proposes another Amendment to the IT Rules: PIB’s fact-check team will be able to take down “fake” news

MeitY has proposed amendments to the IT Rules, 2021, which may require intermediaries to block access to social media posts and even news stories themselves, if the PIB terms them as “fake” or “false”.
18 January, 2023
8 min read
Tanmay SinghTanmay Singh
online gaming

Gamers, have you been Pwned? We send our comments on the proposed amendments to the IT Rules, 2021 in relation to Online gaming

On January 02, 2023, MeitY proposed amendments to the IT Rules, 2021, in relation to online gaming. We sent our detailed comments to MeitY on January 13, 2023, listing our various concerns.
16 January, 2023
3 min read
Tejasi PanjiarTejasi Panjiar & Prateek WaghrePrateek Waghre

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