Latest news with #ShreyaSinghal
New Indian Express
5 days ago
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Delhi High Court seeks L-G, MeitY reply on police powers
NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court on Wednesday sought responses from the Lieutenant Governor's Office and the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) on a plea challenging a notification empowering Delhi Police to order online content removal. The petition, filed by the Software Freedom Law Centre ( contests the notification designating Delhi Police as the Nodal Agency under the IT (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021, allowing them to issue takedown notices under the IT Act. The matter is scheduled for hearing on September 17. The SFLC argues that only the Central Government has blocking powers under Section 69A of the IT Act and related rules. Granting these powers to the police is 'ultra vires' and oversteps statutory limits. The plea raises concerns over unchecked censorship and violation of fundamental rights, citing Shreya Singhal and Madhyamam Broadcasting rulings.
Indian Express
7 days ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
There is a line between criticising the government and breaking the law. India's courts have said it many times
It was 2012. Two young girls were arrested by the Mumbai police for expressing their discontent over a complete shutdown of the city after the death of Shiv Sena leader Bal Thackeray. Despite their subsequent release from custody, it took another three years and a landmark judgment to rule out the legal validity of the grounds for their arrest. The recent arrest of an engineering student from Pune for her Instagram story about Operation Sindoor — she was later granted bail by the Bombay High Court — shows that the needle hasn't moved much since then. Notably, removing the story and tendering an apology shortly after did not offer any relief to the teen, as she spent over two weeks in jail. She was also rusticated from college, barring her from sitting for the examinations. It was only after the Bombay High Court's intervention, which pulled up the police for a 'radical step,' that she got temporary relief. The investigation, however, would go on, and she would not be allowed to leave the state without permission. In the last few years, the constitutional right to freedom of speech and expression has been compromised on many occasions. We tend to forget that criticising those in power is different from breaking the law. The continuous clampdown on political commentary, especially on social media, repeatedly highlights the blurring of such lines. Be it the protests on the JNU campus in 2016, the anti-CAA protests, or one-off social media commentary by individuals, the 'anti-national' label and subsequent police action seem to be predictable consequences. The resort to national security and integrity as a ground for an embargo on free speech makes the 'reasonable restrictions on free speech' doctrine hollow. According to the central government's own submission in Lok Sabha, between 2018 and 2022, there were over 8,000 arrests for anti-government activities. Under the erstwhile Indian Penal Code, the colonial-era Section 124A was used to prosecute any expression or activity that led to disaffection towards the government. The lack of clarity of this provision, which led to numerous wrongful detentions, was acknowledged by the government itself. However, in the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), the government replaced it with Section 152. This section punishes people for 'words, either spoken or written, or by signs, or by visible representation, or by electronic communication or by use of financial means' which endanger the unity, sovereignty, and integrity of India. The retention of the core principles of sedition in Section 152 makes the intention of the government clear. However, the Indian judiciary, time and again, has come up with strong guardrails against any abuse of law. One of the most controversial provisions — Section 66A of the Information Technology Act, 2000, often misused to arrest people — was declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court in Shreya Singhal vs Union of India in 2015. This landmark judgment also impacted the interpretation and application of sedition laws. It denounced arbitrary restrictions on speech by highlighting the three-fold test of 'necessity, proportionality, and legality'. The court stated that mere expression that does not entail a clear and imminent incitement of danger or harm cannot be held as a ground for curtailment of speech, let alone criminal prosecution. Recently, in the case of Tejender Pal Singh vs State of Rajasthan (2024), the Rajasthan High Court echoed this sentiment and said that Section 152 should not be used to stifle dissent. The court also urged the state to distinguish between mere advocacy or discussion and a causal link between the expression and its consequences. The latter lays the ground for criminality; the former falls within the realm of freedom of speech and expression. Arbitrary and excessive restrictions do little to preserve public order and integrity; rather, they undermine the basic fabric of a democratic society. If the state doesn't show restraint, its radical reaction is bound to have consequences. The writer is Outreach lead at Nyaaya, an initiative of Vidhi Centre for Legal Policy
News18
24-04-2025
- Politics
- News18
Google Ordered To Remove This Chinese App By Indian Govt: Here's The Reason
The Chinese app has engaged in activities that are not acceptable to the country's government and Google is ordered to act on it soon. The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), along with the Survey of India (SoI), has directed US tech giant Google to remove the Chinese chat app 'Ablo' from its Play Store, as the app is not correct in its depiction of India's territorial borders. The government's notice states that the China-based video chat platform, which has over 10,000 downloads on Google Play, misrepresented the Union Territories of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh, and entirely omitted Lakshadweep Island from its map. The directive also refers to the Criminal Law (Amendment) Act, 1990, which makes such misrepresentations a punishable offense with imprisonment of up to six months, fines, or both. 'It is evident that the subject map in the 'Ablo' app available at Google Play Store depicts Indian map with erroneous external boundary of India which jeopardises the sovereignty and integrity of India," the notice states. MeitY has cited Section 79(3)(b) of the Information Technology Act, 2000, which mandates intermediaries to 'expeditiously remove or disable access" to content that violates Indian laws, in its notice to Google. MEITY's notice states that the issue of incorrect maps on digital platforms, was flagged during a meeting with SoI. The ministry has asked SoI to pursue legal action against such apps under relevant laws. The IT Ministry also cited the Supreme Court's 2015 Shreya Singhal v. Union of India judgment, which obligates intermediaries to act on valid government order. Google appears to have complied with the order, as Google Play Store landing page of the app now shows the message: 'We're sorry, the requested URL was not found on this server". The app is also now unavailable on Apple's App Store for the Indian users. Earlier in 2023, MeitY and SoI flagged apps on the Play Store such as World Map Quiz and MA 2 – President Simulator for depicting India's borders incorrectly. Similarly, in 2021, Twitter (now X) was pulled up by the Indian government over non-compliance with the IT Rules 2021. The then Twitter India chief Manish Maheshwari was booked by the Uttar Pradesh police on charges for incorrect representation of the map of India. First Published: April 24, 2025, 09:10 IST
Hans India
22-04-2025
- Politics
- Hans India
Google asked to remove Chinese app for showing wrong India map
New Delhi: The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), along with the Survey of India (SoI), has directed US tech giant Google to remove the Chinese chat app 'Ablo' from its Play Store, as the app is not correct in its depiction of India's territorial borders. The government's notice states that the China-based video chat platform, which has over 10,000 downloads on Google Play, misrepresented the Union Territories of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh, and entirely omitted Lakshadweep Island from its map. The directive also refers to the Criminal Law (Amendment) Act, 1990, which makes such misrepresentations a punishable offense with imprisonment of up to six months, fines, or both. 'It is evident that the subject map in the 'Ablo' app available at Google Play Store depicts Indian map with erroneous external boundary of India which jeopardises the sovereignty and integrity of India,' the notice states. MeitY has cited Section 79(3)(b) of the Information Technology Act, 2000, which mandates intermediaries to 'expeditiously remove or disable access' to content that violates Indian laws, in its notice to Google. MEITY's notice states that the issue of incorrect maps on digital platforms, was flagged during a meeting with SoI. The ministry has asked SoI to pursue legal action against such apps under relevant laws. The IT Ministry also cited the Supreme Court's 2015 Shreya Singhal v. Union of India judgment, which obligates intermediaries to act on valid government order. Google appears to have complied with the order, as Google Play Store landing page of the app now shows the message: 'We're sorry, the requested URL was not found on this server'. The app is also now unavailable on Apple's App Store for the Indian users.
India.com
21-04-2025
- Politics
- India.com
Govt Directs Google To Remove Chinese App For Showing Wrong Map Of India
New Delhi: The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), along with the Survey of India (SoI), has directed US tech giant Google to remove the Chinese chat app 'Ablo' from its Play Store, as the app is not correct in its depiction of India's territorial borders. The government's notice states that the China-based video chat platform, which has over 10,000 downloads on Google Play, misrepresented the Union Territories of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh, and entirely omitted Lakshadweep Island from its map. The directive also refers to the Criminal Law (Amendment) Act, 1990, which makes such misrepresentations a punishable offense with imprisonment of up to six months, fines, or both. "It is evident that the subject map in the 'Ablo' app available at Google Play Store depicts Indian map with erroneous external boundary of India which jeopardises the sovereignty and integrity of India," the notice states. MeitY has cited Section 79(3)(b) of the Information Technology Act, 2000, which mandates intermediaries to 'expeditiously remove or disable access' to content that violates Indian laws, in its notice to Google. MEITY's notice states that the issue of incorrect maps on digital platforms, was flagged during a meeting with SoI. The ministry has asked SoI to pursue legal action against such apps under relevant laws. The IT Ministry also cited the Supreme Court's 2015 Shreya Singhal v. Union of India judgment, which obligates intermediaries to act on valid government order. Google appears to have complied with the order, as Google Play Store landing page of the app now shows the message: 'We're sorry, the requested URL was not found on this server'. The app is also now unavailable on Apple's App Store for the Indian users. Earlier in 2023, MeitY and SoI flagged apps on the Play Store such as World Map Quiz and MA 2 - President Simulator for depicting India's borders incorrectly. Similarly, in 2021, Twitter (now X) was pulled up by the Indian government over non-compliance with the IT Rules 2021. The then Twitter India chief Manish Maheshwari was booked by the Uttar Pradesh police on charges for incorrect representation of the map of India.
