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LATEST NEWS UPDATES | Govt moves to block 55 Facebook pages on Afzal Guru

Govt moves to block 55 Facebook pages on Afzal Guru

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published Published on Feb 19, 2013   modified Modified on Feb 19, 2013
-The Times of India

The government has asked internet service providers to block 55 Facebook pages related to Afzal Guru. The notice by the Department of Telecom was issued a day before internet services were restored in Kashmir Valley after remaining suspended for a week following Afzal's hanging. It was on the same day, February 14, that the notice ordering ISPs to block 73 web pages with content relating to a private management college, Indian Institute of Planning and Management, was issued.

Afzal Guru, convicted for his role in the December 2001 Parliament attack, was hanged earlier this month. His hanging set off a spate of protests in Kashmir despite a week-long curfew in the Valley.

The list of 55 Facebook pages includes several support groups and fan pages for Afzal Guru in addition to a profile page of a Bahraini journalist and the Facebook page of a Kashmiri news portal.

The DoT spokesperson could not say who had requested for these pages to be blocked. Group coordinator on cyber laws, Gulshan Rai, who is authorized to send out block notices to ISPs could not be reached for comment.

The notice was not made public by the DoT. The IT Rules introduced in 2009 prohibit disclosure about processes involved in blocking of internet sites.

Delhi-based lawyer Apar Gupta said the move seemed to be "calculated" since it came just before restoration of internet services in the Valley. "Legally speaking, some of the pages for which the block has been called speak of avenging Guru's death. However, the notice does not specify the reasons why the block has been ordered. It gives an impression that the government has something to hide," said Gupta. "The government seems to be growing reliant on blocking as a mode of governance, which is worrying, said cyber lawyer Pavan Duggal.

Times View

The ease with which sites or webpages are being blocked is a clear indication of how prone to misinterpretation the law in this case is. The fact that even a public notice by the University Grants Commission could be blocked should come as an alarm signal not just to all those concerned about freedom of expression, but the government itself. The issue here is not merely about whether it is practically feasible to exercise the sort of control over new media that could be done with more conventional forms of dissemination of news and views. We need to acknowledge that the law has given too much discretion in the matter and needs to be framed more precisely if it is not to be prone to misuse.

The Times of India, 19 February, 2013, http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/tech/social-media/Govt-moves-to-block-55-Facebook-pages-on-Afzal-Guru/articleshow/18566924.cms


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