Dissecting social media blocks II

The displacement of North Eastern people from cities in the South and in Maharashtra, because of the panic created by rumours spread by Social Media and Mobile messaging resulted in an unprecedented censorship of online media by the Indian government.

More than 250 sites and web pages were blocked for allegedly containing doctored images and videos that could fuel communal tensions between Muslim and the North-Eastern communities.

One question which arises is regarding the method of blocking employed by the government. Should it be more transparent?  The other question pertains to the role of regular online users in dealing with such rumors.

1. Should the government list the websites that are blocked therefore providing greater transparency in the blocking process?

Yes the government should list the websites with a reasoned rationale behind the action. Transparency is the essence of ensuring public confidence in this process. Indian law has sections that have been conceived to curb hate speech and writing when they cross the line of free speech into inciting violence. These sections of the law (even minus the internet) have been ill- developed jurisprudentially with both the police and Courts not being vigilant and consistent. Judgments are scant and varied and have not helped form an informed debate on the issue.

3. What do you suggest needs to be done to deal with hate sites?

Work towards conforming alleged hate sites with what ought to/should be done on hate writing and speech. This does need consultation and deliberation however to prevent knee jerk and selective interpretation and application.

4. What is your advice for an average Facebook or Twitter user to ensure that what they are viewing is accurate (in case of morphed pictures or content)? 

What worries me most about the wealth of material available on the internet (that has otherwise a huge democratizing and even mobilizing potential) is the unsourced material available even for basic research. It makes youngsters lazy, especially among the elite. Indian elite and middle class schools should drill the value of proper research into the young mind, cross checking sources and not this fast-paced, non-verifiable method. The one way of doing it is through our educational institutions and to also try and do it through responsible notices on responsible pages and sites. To have a note on this, to guide and inform impressionable users.

As far as morphed images are concerned, again information, dissemination and discussion by the Internet media, print media and television --without the hysteria and antagonism we see today, is critical. Morphed images should be acted upon by the law enforcement agencies wherever possible as their intention is to cause mischief. 

5. What rights do websites have to defend themselves in the face of a government ban?

Argue their case in Courts delineating the parameters of Article 19 (freedom of expression) and check standards of speech/writing that may or may not be provocation to violence (Sections 153a, b, 505 of the Indian Penal Code) and Section 295 of the CrPC. Only then will reasoned jurisprudence emerge and informed public discussion result.