Indians enjoy online freedom more than its neighbours

Seeing the popularity of the Web and its usage of spreading information at lightning speed, several governments across the globe are blocking websites and blogs. For instance, China does not allow its people to access several popular websites such as Facebook, IMDB (Internet Movie Data Base), Reporters without Borders, Blogspot, Wordpress, Scribd, Twitter and many more. 

The Chinese cannot access torrent websites for downloading books, movies, TV shows, etc. Even a  country like the United States of America has come up with legislations like Stop Online Privacy Act (SOPA) and Anti Counterfeiting Trade Act (ACTA) to put a check on online activities.

The Indian government too had proposed to screen the content of websites but later backtracked after public outcry over the issue. Earlier, the Indian government had banned access to some websites that were spreading controversial and defamatory content. 

These sites include Pakistani newspaper Dawn’s website, many Yahoo and Orkut communities, a website promoting a separate country for Dalits, Cartoons Against Corruption website, etc. No Act has been passed yet in the country exclusively for Internet censorship but a few over-cautious Internet Service Providers (ISPs) have blocked some websites which harm their interests. People believe that it is the infringement of their right to freedom of speech and expression.

It is evident that India is much better than other countries and allows its citizens to enjoy  freedom of expression on the Web. The Open Net Initiative (ONI), an organisation that monitors and reports on Internet filtering and surveillance practices by nations, defines India as a country that “respects the right to free speech and allows a wide array of political, social, and economic beliefs to be expressed. 

However, on targeted political and social conflicts, the government censors media and online discussion, particularly in areas of social unrest.” The organization calls Internet filtering in India ‘selecting filtering’.

Many a time employers block a few websites in offices hoping that it will make their employees more productive but tech-savvy employees access websites of their choice by using proxy websites or turning their Wordpress blog or websites into a proxy server. 

Tech-savvy people find different ways of circumventing Internet filtering if a website is either blocked by the government or by their IT administrator but one should not engage oneself in circumventing Internet filtering because it can invite trouble as it has been criminalised under the Information Technology Act, 2008.Your freedom vs. my freedom

It is rightly said that “your freedom to swing your fist ends just where my nose begins.” Online freedom does not mean that one can spread defamatory or obscene information with impunity. To deal with online stalkers and law-breakers, the Indian parliament had passed the Information Technology Act (2008) that grants  powers to the police to search premises without warrants and arrest individuals in case of electronic publication of obscene content. 

The government can ban online content in the interest of the country. Victims of cyber crime  can complain to the local police station or send their complaint with all the evidence to cyber crime cells set up in different parts of the country.