Tackling takedowns: On the government and online censorship

Online censorship is a threat to the fundamental right (मौलिक अधिकार) to free expression

The Union government’s enthusiastic (उत्साही) misuse (दुरुपयोग, गलत इस्तेमाल) of its spurious powers to censor lawful speech online is an alarming and exponentially growing threat to India’s democracy (लोकतंत्र). With amendments (संशोधन) to the IT Rules, 2021 — which are themselves on shaky (अस्थिर, संदिग्ध) constitutional (संवैधानिक) ground — the government has successfully pressured Meta and X to take down content within three-hour timelines that leave little time to push back, lest (कहीं ऐसा न हो कि) they lose “safe harbour” protections and be dragged into (किसी को जबरन शामिल करना) court or, worse (और भी बुरा, अधिक गंभीर), have their employees face (सामना करना, झेलना) personal criminal liability. Under the cover of fighting AI-generated content, all speech is being subjected to (के अधीन होना, झेलना) a despotic (तानाशाहीपूर्ण, निरंकुश) regime (शासन, शासन तंत्र) where the state (राज्य, सरकार) can silence (gag, suppress, censor, muzzle, quieten, muffle) speech at will, destroying the promise of the Internet, which has emerged as an important alternative voice (representation, medium of expression, viewpoint) to express everyday concerns. Visceral, hard-hitting expressions of independent (free, unbiased, impartial, uncontrolled, unrestricted, autonomous) voices are an integral part of a society led by free ideals (principles, values, standards, ethics, morals) and representative democracy (a type of democracy founded on the principle of elected officials representing a group of people). Weaponising (use as a weapon; exploit, manipulate, abuse (a law or system) to attack someone or gain an advantage) Sections 69A and 79(3)(b) of the IT Act, 2000 to take down such content, and accounts wholesale, distorts the public conversation (public discourse, public discussion, public dialogue, societal debate) in a way that benefits the ruling party, with scant (little, minimal, inadequate, negligible, insufficient) regard for the freedoms of audiences and the livelihoods (source of income, means of support, living, employment) of creators. Often, entire accounts of the Opposition are deleted. Since this infrastructure of censorship has been built brick by brick without any moral compunctions (qualms, scruples, misgivings, guilt, hesitation, unease) on the path down which they lead, takedowns of independent media outlets (a publication, broadcast program, or platform that provides news and feature stories to the public; news organization, news agency, broadcasting channel) and critical commentators (a person who analyses, evaluates, and expresses critical opinions on public affairs, politics, or society; critic, political analyst, observer) have grown. Some have been reversed, at the cost of revealing their identity (the characteristics, details, or name by which a person is known; individuality, identification). The government continues to enjoy these powers under a veil (cover, screen, cloak, mask, camouflage, guise) of secrecy, publishing no meaningful data on how its hold (control, grip, power, dominance, authority, influence) on online discourse (discussion, conversation, debate, dialogue, communication) has tightened (strengthen, increase, make stricter, make more rigorous).

By opening up the so-called Sahyog portal to police officials around the country, requests under Section 79(3)(b) have been supercharged (increase significantly, boost, enhance, amplify, escalate) as a censorial (relating to a censor or censorship; restrictive, suppressive, prohibitive) rubber stamp that the IT Act simply (purely, merely, just, solely, entirely) does not give them. The clear Supreme Court precedent (previous example/instance, prior case, model, standard, authoritative example) outlining what “actual knowledge” of illegality online constitutes for takedown orders has been reduced to a mockery. The Karnataka High Court has even brushed aside binding (compulsory, mandatory, imperative, obligatory, enforceable) Court precedent under Shreya Singhal vs Union of India, even as (at the same time as, while, simultaneously) the government has not dared (be brave enough, have the courage, risk, venture, challenge) to formalise the powers that it is exercising by passing a law in Parliament. Social media platforms have failed miserably in acting as a check in this ongoing (continuous, continuing, in progress, constant, relentless) rampage for power over online speech and have instead chosen the peace of mind (a feeling of being safe, secure, or free from worry; tranquillity, calm, relief, comfort) that comes with automatically processing takedown notices. X continues to resist the Sahyog portal, but faces pressure from proceedings (legal action, legal process, lawsuit, trial, hearing) in the Karnataka and Delhi High Courts. The political elite (the group of most powerful, influential, or wealthy people in a society; ruling class, establishment, high society) must ponder the consequences of its campaign against online speech. Opposition-ruled States have quickly leapt to leverage the Sahyog portal’s powers. A future government run (govern, administer, manage, direct, lead, control) by today’s Opposition will likely (probably, in all probability, presumably, doubtlessly) play by (follow, abide by, adhere to, comply with, observe (rules)) the same sordid (dirty, unsavoury, discreditable, dishonest, nasty, dishonourable, disreputable) rules.

Courtesy: The Hindu

Important Word List With Meaning

1.fundamental right (noun)

Hindi Meaning - मौलिक अधिकार
English Meaning - basic human rights enshrined in the Constitution of India which are guaranteed to all citizens; constitutional right.

2.enthusiastic (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - उत्साही
English Meaning - eager, keen, zealous, passionate, fervent, ardent.

3.misuse (noun)

Hindi Meaning - दुरुपयोग, गलत इस्तेमाल
English Meaning - wrong or improper use; misapplication, exploitation, abuse, manipulation.

4.democracy (noun)

Hindi Meaning - लोकतंत्र
English Meaning - a system of government in which power is vested in the people, who rule either directly or through freely elected representatives; representative government, self-government.

5.amendment (noun)

Hindi Meaning - संशोधन
English Meaning - alteration, modification, change, revision (to a law or constitution).

6.shaky (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - अस्थिर, संदिग्ध
English Meaning - unstable, unsteady, weak, fragile, precarious, unfounded.

7.constitutional (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - संवैधानिक
English Meaning - relating to an established set of principles governing a state; legal, lawful, legitimate, valid.

8.lest (conjunction)

Hindi Meaning - कहीं ऐसा न हो कि
English Meaning - in case, just in case, for fear that, to avoid the risk of.

9.drag into (phrasal verb)

Hindi Meaning - किसी को जबरन शामिल करना
English Meaning - force someone to become involved in a difficult or unpleasant situation; involve, draw in, entangle, implicate.

10.worse (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - और भी बुरा, अधिक गंभीर
English Meaning - more serious, more severe, more difficult, more unpleasant.

11.face (verb)

Hindi Meaning - सामना करना, झेलना
English Meaning - encounter, experience, confront, endure, be subjected to.

12.be subjected to (verb)

Hindi Meaning - के अधीन होना, झेलना
English Meaning - be exposed to, be put through, be treated with, be made liable to.

13.despotic (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - तानाशाहीपूर्ण, निरंकुश
English Meaning - autocratic, dictatorial, authoritarian, tyrannical, absolute.

14.regime (noun)

Hindi Meaning - शासन, शासन तंत्र
English Meaning - system, mechanism, apparatus, arrangement, scheme (or an authoritarian government).

15.the state (noun)

Hindi Meaning - राज्य, सरकार
English Meaning - government, regime, administration, authorities, establishment.

16.spurious (adjective)

English Meaning - false, fake, bogus, illegitimate, invalid, unfounded.

17.safe harbour (noun)

English Meaning - a legal provision that exempts online platforms from legal liability for third-party content generated by users, provided they comply with certain conditions like removing content upon receiving actual knowledge of illegality.

18.fundamental right to free expression (noun)

English Meaning - the basic constitutional guarantee that allows an individual to articulate opinions and ideas without interference, retaliation, or punishment from the government; freedom of speech, freedom of expression.

19.the IT Rules, 2021 (organization/body/act)

English Meaning - Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021; a set of rules notified by the Government of India to regulate digital content, social media intermediaries, and OTT platforms, mandating grievance redressal and strict compliance with government takedown orders.

20.silence (verb)

English Meaning - gag, suppress, censor, muzzle, quieten, muffle.

21.independent (adjective)

English Meaning - free, unbiased, impartial, uncontrolled, unrestricted, autonomous.

22.voice (noun)

English Meaning - representation, medium of expression, viewpoint.

23.ideals (noun)

English Meaning - principles, values, standards, ethics, morals.

24.representative democracy (noun)

English Meaning - a type of democracy founded on the principle of elected officials representing a group of people.

25.weaponise (verb)

English Meaning - use as a weapon; exploit, manipulate, abuse (a law or system) to attack someone or gain an advantage.

26.public conversation (noun)

English Meaning - public discourse, public discussion, public dialogue, societal debate.

27.in a way that (phrase)

English Meaning - so as to, in a manner that, such that.

28.scant (adjective)

English Meaning - little, minimal, inadequate, negligible, insufficient.

29.regard (noun)

English Meaning - consideration, care, concern, respect, attention, thought.

30.livelihood (noun)

English Meaning - source of income, means of support, living, employment.

31.compunction (noun)

English Meaning - qualms, scruples, misgivings, guilt, hesitation, unease.

32.on the path down (phrase)

English Meaning - moving along a trajectory that leads to negative or detrimental consequences; heading down a slippery slope, downward path.

33.media outlet (noun)

English Meaning - a publication, broadcast program, or platform that provides news and feature stories to the public; news organization, news agency, broadcasting channel.

34.outlet (noun)

English Meaning - channel, medium, platform, forum, agency.

35.critical commentator (noun)

English Meaning - a person who analyses, evaluates, and expresses critical opinions on public affairs, politics, or society; critic, political analyst, observer.

36.identity (noun)

English Meaning - the characteristics, details, or name by which a person is known; individuality, identification.

37.veil (noun)

English Meaning - cover, screen, cloak, mask, camouflage, guise.

38.hold (noun)

English Meaning - control, grip, power, dominance, authority, influence.

39.discourse (noun)

English Meaning - discussion, conversation, debate, dialogue, communication.

40.tighten (verb)

English Meaning - strengthen, increase, make stricter, make more rigorous.

41.supercharge (verb)

English Meaning - increase significantly, boost, enhance, amplify, escalate.

42.censorial (adjective)

English Meaning - relating to a censor or censorship; restrictive, suppressive, prohibitive.

43.rubber stamp (noun)

English Meaning - a person, system, or organization that gives automatic approval or authorization to the decisions of others without proper review; automatic approval, routine endorsement, mere formality.

44.simply (adverb)

English Meaning - purely, merely, just, solely, entirely.

45.precedent (noun)

English Meaning - previous example/instance, prior case, model, standard, authoritative example.

46.brush aside (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - ignore, disregard, dismiss, reject, overlook, set aside.

47.binding (adjective)

English Meaning - compulsory, mandatory, imperative, obligatory, enforceable.

48.Shreya Singhal vs Union of India case (organization/body/act)

English Meaning - a landmark 2015 Supreme Court of India judgment that struck down Section 66A of the IT Act and narrowed the scope of actual knowledge under Section 79 to mean a specific court order or formal government notification.

49.even as (phrase)

English Meaning - at the same time as, while, simultaneously.

50.dare (verb)

English Meaning - be brave enough, have the courage, risk, venture, challenge.

51.ongoing (adjective)

English Meaning - continuous, continuing, in progress, constant, relentless.

52.rampage (noun)

English Meaning - a period of unrestrained, violent, or uncontrollable behaviour; spree, frenzy, unrestricted run.

53.peace of mind (phrase)

English Meaning - a feeling of being safe, secure, or free from worry; tranquillity, calm, relief, comfort.

54.proceeding (noun)

English Meaning - legal action, legal process, lawsuit, trial, hearing.