Is govt’s gag plan a threat to freedom of expression?

Union telecom minister Kapil Sibal’s recent threat to “discipline” social networking sites has set off a raging debate on the government’s intentions behind the move. DNA explores

Need for an int’l watchdog for the web, but not censorship
It is a debatable issue that crops up time and again. Internet is a reflection of the real world. Whatever we have in the real world, we see a reflection of it in the virtual world, with the exceptions that the virtual world is not bound by geographical boundaries, distance or time.

In the virtual world, you can be what you want to be. Though the moral yardsticks are the same for both real and virtual worlds, I feel there should not be any kind of policing in the virtual world.

However, it is necessary that we create an international ombudsman for the World Wide Web, where one can register complaints against misuse of the Internet. The liberal framework for the Internet must remain as it is, and there should not be any kind of censorship.
—Vijay Bhatkar, computer scientist

The govt is wrong in its approach; we have laws to deal with objectionable content
The government wants to censor the contents on networking sites, as posting something objectionable on the Net is undemocratic. But the Facebook headquarters in the US has said that bringing in censorship on the Net is not possible. Freedom of speech or expression has to be there, it is our constitutional right.

If the same right is misused for creating a riot or discord in the society, then it can be objected to, and we have the law to take care of that. There is a provision to get objectionable contents removed by complaining against them.

In principle the government’s approach is wrong; it is not possible in a democratic country like India. If today the government is trying to censor networking sites, tomorrow it might insist on doing the same with TV, newspapers and other media.
—Akshat Srivastava, CEO, My Open Campus

Censoring networking sites will be like taking away freedom of expression
The Internet has become an indispensable part of everyone’s life in India. It is also largely responsible for India’s progress. Censorship of any kind on networking sites will be like a partial ban, which in a democratic set up, will be like taking away freedom of expression.

The Internet, especially networking sites, are super fast means of communication. It will be tough for the government to bring in any kind of censorship on Facebook, Google or Twitter. With freedom of expression and freedom of speech being the basic principles of our Constitution, the government’s action will be in violation of our rights. I feel the government is making a mistake by planning to censor the content on networking sites. I think they should concentrate on other important issues that are plaguing the country.
—Santosh Surve, IT professional

Govt must think twice before bringing any kind of censorship
I find the whole idea ridiculous; the youth cannot even imagine that they are not allowed to network the way they want to. The Anna Hazare movement against corruption and what is happening in the Middle East at present became possible only because of all these networking tools, including the cellphone, that are available to people today.

The government must think twice before bringing in any kind of censorship on social networking sites. If the contents are objectionable and directed against someone, then the person concerned can always resort to law. In a democratic system, we cannot impose a ban on the Net, or else what is the difference between China and India. Obscene and objectionable contents can be removed from the site and the person responsible for the circulation of such content can be sued in the court of law. The government’s approach towards the issue is outdated.
—Adesh Patwardhan, marketing professional

India should not go the Chinese way in censoring Internet content
I do not believe in censorship, however, I agree with Kapil Sibal to a certain point. Some of the content on the Internet does incite people from different religions and communities, and there should be a way to monitor that. As far as vulgar or “bad” images go, who is to decide what is good and what is bad? Things like these are very subjective.

More importantly, how can you possibly monitor social networking giants like Facebook, Google and Yahoo? There are lakhs of users who log on to various sites and upload millions of pictures.

Censoring images is going to be an uphill task in itself. The censorship should not curb the freedom of the people. There has to be at least one platform where people can voice their opinions freely. My only concern is that India should not go the Chinese way as far as censorship is concerned.
—Snehal Surve, student

Explicit content can be controlled with strict laws
I think the Internet should be monitored and not censored. Cyber crimes are rampant, and we keep hearing about scandals and scams every day. Social networking sites like Facebook are very important and helpful, but they are misused too. There are laws that ensure privacy of people from all age groups.

However, only a handful of people are penalised for cyber crimes. Authorities at the highest levels should implement the laws strictly. The number of derogatory images and explicit content will come down, if the laws are put into practice. The Internet should be strictly regulated to protect people, but not to the extent that India enters the league of countries like China.
—Nayan Gulungkar, public relations officer