On March 22, 2017, Baijayant ‘Jay’ Panda, Member of Parliament (Lok Sabha), raised the issue of Internet shutdowns in Parliament. Noting how Internet shutdowns are instituted by states under Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code, 1973 despite there being detailed provisions under the Information Technology Act, 2000 and Rules for the Central Government to block access to online content in public interest, and also how Internet shutdowns cause significant economic losses in digital economies, Mr. Panda urged the Central Government to formulate a rule-based system to oversee restrictions placed on Internet access. Such a rule-based system, he said, must make it clear that access restrictions are not to be arbitrarily imposed, must provide for an escalating manner of implementation, and must exempt essential services from the purview of restrictions imposed.
Watch the full address below: