Hindi English Translation || Editorial || Tread carefully: On the power to remove online content

Tread carefully: On the power to remove online content

Power to remove online content must be used sparingly (किफ़ायत से, संयम से), responsibly

The Government’s order asking YouTube to remove 45 videos from 10 channels can be seen as a justified response to growing (बढ़ रही है, की बढ़ती) concern over the propagation (प्रचार, एक विचार) of hate and communally sensitive (संवेदनशील, भावनात्मक, आसानी से नाराज) material over the free video sharing website, but the frequent exercise (व्यायाम, उपयोग, रोजगार) of such a power is not without concerns. The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (I&B) has asked for (पूछना, अनुरोध करना, माँगना) the removal of the content in these videos based on intelligence (बुद्धि, जानकारी, तथ्य) inputs and the ostensible (ख़याली, स्पष्ट, कथित) reasons are not limited to dissemination (प्रसार, संचलन, वितरण) of hate against religious communities. They also relate to issues the Government considers “sensitive”: references to Kashmir, the Agnipath (the Agnipath scheme is for recruitment of soldiers in the three branches of the armed forces, on a short-term basis. Under the scheme, youth between 17.5 to 21 years of age will be enrolled on an ‘All-India All-Class’ basis as soldiers for four years. These recruits, who will be known as ‘Agniveers’, will form a distinct rank bearing a distinct insignia (badge/ emblem) in the respective forces. They will not be eligible for any pensionary benefit under the scheme) scheme, and what it says are false claims (दावा, पुष्टि, विवाद) about the rights of religious minorities being taken away and dissemination of material portending (indicate, denote, herald, signal, presage, augur/bode) civil war (गृहयुद्ध). If these claims are true, and if the content transgresses (infringe, breach, contravene, disobey, break) the boundaries of free speech (मुक्त भाषण) or threatens public order (सार्वजनिक व्यवस्था) and security, such take-down (नीचे उतारना, निष्कासन) orders may be justified. However, the manner of their passing ((official) pronouncement, declaration, expression) remains an unrevealed (अप्रकाशित, अघोषित) process, as it is not known if the originators of the content were given an opportunity to explain their stand before the blocking orders were issued. Section 69A of the IT Act, which empowers (authorize, allow, entitle) the Government to block content, was upheld (confirm, endorse/approve, vindicate/validate) by the Supreme Court only after it noted that the rules provided procedural (formal, systematic, methodical) safeguards (protection, security), including the need to issue notice to the originators (initiator, planner, creator) or the intermediary (representative, delegate, agent, mediator, negotiator), before a blocking order.

The latest order invokes (cite, refer to, adduce, use, put into effect, turn to, resort to) the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021. It has a procedure by which an inter-departmental committee considers complaints on content and makes recommendations. The Authorised Officer (an employee of the department, appointed by the Minister or Secretary to carry out a compliance or enforcement function under legislation administered by the department) has to take the approval of the Secretary, I&B, before directing the publisher or intermediary to block the relevant content. There is an emergency provision (stipulation, condition, specification, requirement) under which the Secretary may order content blocking as an interim (provisional, temporary, transitional) measure (action, step, procedure), and thereafter (after that, afterwards, subsequently) confirm it after getting the committee’s views. All such blocking orders are meant to be examined by a review committee, which ought to (must, should) meet once in two months, but it is not known whether the panel (committee, council, commission, advisory group) meets regularly. The Government, which discloses (reveal, make known, communicate) how many videos it has got removed, must also reveal the outcome (effect, result) of such reviews, if any. India ranks quite high in the list of countries that make regular requests for removal of online content. There is no doubt that offensive content, as hate speech (abusive or disrespectful speech), incitement (provocation, persuasion, inducement) to violence and child pornography (obscene or indecent digital material (movies, pictures, magazines, etc.,) that show or describe sexual matters in order to cause sexual excitement) — posing (constitute, present, cause, give rise to, lead to) a challenge to the dignified (stately, noble, formal, serious, proper) use of online space — ought to be removed. However, the power to block online content must be used sparingly and with sensitivity (responsiveness, consideration, thoughtfulness, understanding, delicacy, subtlety, finer feelings) towards key freedoms and due process ((equally and fairly) correct process; fair treatment).

Courtesy: The Hindu

Important Word List With Meaning

1.sparingly (adverb)

Hindi Meaning - किफ़ायत से, संयम से
English Meaning - in a restricted way; in a limited way; in small quantities; meagrely.

2.growing (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - बढ़ रही है, की बढ़ती
English Meaning - increasing.

3.propagation (noun)

Hindi Meaning - प्रचार, एक विचार
English Meaning - spreading and promoting an idea/theory.

4.sensitive (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - संवेदनशील, भावनात्मक, आसानी से नाराज
English Meaning - emotional, easily offended, defensive, touchy, volatile; delicate, subtle.

5.exercise (noun)

Hindi Meaning - व्यायाम, उपयोग, रोजगार
English Meaning - use, utilization, employment, practice.

6.ask for (phrasal verb)

Hindi Meaning - पूछना, अनुरोध करना, माँगना
English Meaning - request, call for, demand, urge.

7.intelligence (noun)

Hindi Meaning - बुद्धि, जानकारी, तथ्य
English Meaning - (military/political) information, facts, details, particulars.

8.ostensible (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - ख़याली, स्पष्ट, कथित
English Meaning - apparent, alleged, claimed, purported, supposed, presumed, seeming,.

9.dissemination (noun)

Hindi Meaning - प्रसार, संचलन, वितरण
English Meaning - spreading, circulation, distribution.

10.claim (noun)

Hindi Meaning - दावा, पुष्टि, विवाद
English Meaning - assertion, affirmation, contention; demand.

11.civil war (noun)

Hindi Meaning - गृहयुद्ध
English Meaning - a war between organized groups within the same state or country.

12.free speech (noun)

Hindi Meaning - मुक्त भाषण
English Meaning - the right to express one’s opinions publicly (without any restraint).

13.public order (noun)

Hindi Meaning - सार्वजनिक व्यवस्था
English Meaning - it means the situation that exists when people obey the laws, rules or authority of the State.

14.take down (phrasal verb)

Hindi Meaning - नीचे उतारना, निष्कासन
English Meaning - removal.

15.unrevealed (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - अप्रकाशित, अघोषित
English Meaning - unreported, undisclosed, unpublished, secret.

16.tread (verb)

English Meaning - crush, press down, squash, step on, trample on.

17.intelligence agency (noun)

English Meaning - a government agency responsible for the collection, analysis, and exploitation of information in support of law enforcement, national security, military, and foreign policy objectives.

18.Agnipath (noun)

English Meaning - the Agnipath scheme is for recruitment of soldiers in the three branches of the armed forces, on a short-term basis. Under the scheme, youth between 17.5 to 21 years of age will be enrolled on an ‘All-India All-Class’ basis as soldiers for four years. These recruits, who will be known as ‘Agniveers’, will form a distinct rank bearing a distinct insignia (badge/ emblem) in the respective forces. They will not be eligible for any pensionary benefit under the scheme.

19.take away (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - remove, withdraw, stem, discard.

20.portend (verb)

English Meaning - indicate, denote, herald, signal, presage, augur/bode.

21.transgress (verb)

English Meaning - infringe, breach, contravene, disobey, break.

22.take-down order/request (noun)

English Meaning - a procedure for ordering/asking an Internet Service Provider (ISP) or search engine to remove or disable access to illegal, irrelevant or outdated content/information.

23.passing (noun)

English Meaning - (official) pronouncement, declaration, expression.

24.stand (noun)

English Meaning - opinion, view point, point of view, perspective, stance.

25.Section 69A of IT Act, 2000 (noun)

English Meaning - Section 69A of the Information Technology Act, 2000, was introduced by an amendment to the Act in 2008. It gives the Central government the power to block public access to any information online — whether on websites or mobile apps.

26.Section 69A (1) of IT Act, 2000 (noun)

English Meaning - It empowers the Central Government (or any of its authorised officers) to direct, by written order, any Government agency or intermediary to block (or have blocked) public access to any information generated, transmitted, received, stored or hosted in any computer resource.

27.Section 69A (2) of IT Act, 2000 (noun)

English Meaning - It explicitly states: ‘The procedure and safeguards subject to which such blocking for access by the public may be carried out, shall be such as may be prescribed.

28.Section 69A (3)of IT Act, 2000 (noun)

English Meaning - Under this Act, an intermediary that does not comply with a direction for blocking is liable to be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to seven years and with a fine.

29.Information Technology Act (noun)

English Meaning - it is an Act of the Indian Parliament notified on 17 October 2000. It is the primary law in India dealing with cybercrime and electronic commerce.

30.empower (verb)

English Meaning - authorize, allow, entitle.

31.uphold (verb)

English Meaning - confirm, endorse/approve, vindicate/validate.

32.procedural (adjective)

English Meaning - formal, systematic, methodical.

33.safeguard (noun)

English Meaning - protection, security.

34.originator (noun)

English Meaning - initiator, planner, creator.

35.intermediary (noun)

English Meaning - representative, delegate, agent, mediator, negotiator.

36.invoke (verb)

English Meaning - cite, refer to, adduce, use, put into effect, turn to, resort to.

37.The Information Technology (Guidelines for Intermediaries and Digital Media Ethics Code)Rules, 2021 (noun)

English Meaning -the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules 2021 has been framed in exercise of powers under section 87 (2) of the Information Technology Act, 2000 and in supersession of the earlier Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines) Rules 2011. It empowers ordinary users of social media, embodying a mechanism for the redressal and timely resolution of their grievances. Rules about digital media and OTT focuses more on in house and self-regulation mechanism whereby a robust grievance redressal mechanism has been provided while upholding journalistic and creative freedom. The guidelines have been framed keeping in mind the difference between viewership in a theatre and television as compared to watching it on the Internet.

38.inter- (prefix)

English Meaning - between; among.

39.authorized (adjective)

English Meaning - approved, recognized, permitted.

40.authorised officer (AO) (noun)

English Meaning - an employee of the department, appointed by the Minister or Secretary to carry out a compliance or enforcement function under legislation administered by the department.

41.provision (noun)

English Meaning - stipulation, condition, specification, requirement.

42.interim (adjective)

English Meaning - provisional, temporary, transitional.

43.measure (noun)

English Meaning - action, step, procedure.

44.thereafter (adverb)

English Meaning - after that, afterwards, subsequently.

45.ought to (modal verb)

English Meaning - must, should.

46.panel (noun)

English Meaning - committee, council, commission, advisory group.

47.disclose (verb)

English Meaning - reveal, make known, communicate.

48.outcome (noun)

English Meaning - effect, result.

49.offensive (adjective)

English Meaning - displeasing, objectionable, disagreeable, hateful; affronting, contemptuous, outrageous, outraging.

50.hate speech (noun)

English Meaning - abusive or disrespectful speech.

51.incitement (noun)

English Meaning - provocation, persuasion, inducement.

52.pornography (noun)

English Meaning - obscene or indecent digital material (movies, pictures, magazines, etc.,) that show or describe sexual matters in order to cause sexual excitement.

53.pose (verb)

English Meaning - constitute, present, cause, give rise to, lead to.

54.dignified (adjective)

English Meaning - stately, noble, formal, serious, proper.

55.sensitivity (noun)

English Meaning - responsiveness, consideration, thoughtfulness, understanding, delicacy, subtlety, finer feelings.

56.due process (phrase)

English Meaning - (equally and fairly) correct process; fair treatment.