Worse than rioting

IN Media Watch Briefs | 21/11/2012

If you are still unclear about the draconian nature of Sec 66 (a) of the IT Act, here’s something that’ll help: Palghar police charged ten people with rioting, unlawful assembly, endangering life or personal safety of others, mischief and house-trespass (Secs 143, 147, 336, 427, 451 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) respectively) for vandalizing Dr Dhada’s hospital. Punishment for all this: three months to two years. But the young women arrested under section 66 (a), IT Act, and Sec 505 (2) of the IPC for their Facebook posts can get upto three years! Clearly, riotous acts are less dangerous than speaking out!

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Amazon resisting voluntary censorship

The new term for self censorship is voluntary censorship, as proposed by companies like Netflix and Hotstar. ET reports that streaming video service Amazon Prime is opposing a move by its peers to adopt a voluntary censorship code in anticipation of the Indian government coming up with its own rules. Amazon is resisting because it fears that it may alienate paying subscribers.

Let the games begin

Clearly, the run to the 2019 elections is on. A journalist received a call from someone saying they were from Aajtak channel and were conducting a survey, asking whom she was going to vote for in 2019. On being told that her vote was secret, the caller assumed she wasn't going to vote for 'Modiji'. The caller, a woman, also didn't identify herself. A month or two earlier the same journalist received a call, this time from a man, asking if she was going to vote for the BSP.