- The Union Government and the State Governments’ standard operating procedure during times of strife, disturbance, and disharmony in society is to immediately shut down the internet. This measure is intended to limit the free flow of disinformation and misinformation, which could exacerbate the already clear situation on the ground. Of course, the global community has advanced in internet technology-enabled services, including the ubiquitous social media platforms, to the point where it is no longer possible to imagine not having access to digital handles of various colors. Notably, social media platforms are proving to be double-edged swords that can be both beneficial and harmful.
PC: Vishnu Vardhan
- With over 800 million smartphone and internet users, India now has a massive penetration of smartphones and the internet. And the amount of information readily available on the internet is unquantifiable, as is the ease with which anything can be disseminated in real-time. No wonder modern governments want to expand their digital footprints but are concerned about the data security issues that are clogging the medium. Because the internet allows for real-time information dissemination, governments are compelled to impose internet shutdowns whenever there is social unrest. The authorities enforce such a measure to prevent provocation or misinformation.
- It should be noted that the Supreme Court has ordered that shutdowns be subject to the principle of proportionality as part of the system of checks and balances. In practice, however, they are subject to the principle of arbitrariness. That was the conclusion reached earlier this year by a parliamentary standing committee after a 12-month investigation. The committee discovered that the Union Government does not have a centralized database on internet outages. It also lacks a standardized national operating protocol for shutdowns. As a result, internet shutdowns appear to have become an extension of state policing. Indeed, internet shutdowns have been used to prevent exam cheating.
PC: Metasebia Teshome
- Mind you, there’s no accountability imposed on the executive that uses internet shutdowns as an administrative tool. A reason for this is that terms such as public safety and public emergency are used in a way that suits the convenience of the executive. Remember, shutdowns cost telecom operators Rs 2.5 crore per hour in a circle area. As a solution, the parliamentary committee asked the GOI to examine if select OTT platforms can be temporarily disabled to deal with an emergency and leave users with access to other aspects of the internet. The telecom regulator TRAI last month issued a consultation paper to examine its feasibility. It’s doable to tweak the OTT regulatory architecture if the industry feels technology is lagging here. This is a much better option, for sure.
