Blocking Of Blogs..What Are We Protesting !
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People are up in arms over the Indian government’s decision to block `objectionable’ sites and blogs. And rightfully so. However in doing so, I think many of us are missing the point by miles. To address the issue, you’ve got to define it. My sense is that many have failed to do so. Let me try !
The 20 Sites/Blogs Or Something Else ? What are we protesting ? Are we saying there is a freedom of speech/expression issue because 20 sites have been blocked ? In which case, we should protest when Da Vinci Code gets banned in some states, books like Satanic Verses get banned or for that matter Shivaji’s biography. Or MF Hussain’s painting. Of course there are many more books, paintings and movies which have been banned and not just because they are harmful to minors. My point is you can’t keep quiet for one form of content and get all roiled just because it gets delivered digitally. A digital delivery (if you ask me) does not make it any less `bannable’, at least in principle. Yes of course you can download lots of other stuff which is banned in the physical world. But that’s a reverse argument and may not work here ! So, if you are with your government on the fundamental issue of banning, or have not protested in the past, then you’ve got to pipe down. Else, protest all forms of bans on all forms of content. Technical Incompetence The Government wants 20 sites to be banned. It sends out a notice to some 150 internet service providers asking them to do as much. Between their technological incompetence and their enthusiasm to please the Department of Telecom, many ISPs banned access to all sites with some extensions, blogspot being one example. Now, that has nothing to do with freedom of expression. That is plain incompetence and a technical inability to manage firewalls and gateways. Am sure the Government has nothing to do with it. Nor does it want to. Yes, its order has resulted in the baby being thrown out with the bathwater. But its unintentional as I see it. Once again, the ISP could be the overzealous MTNL or BSNL, going all out to keep some bureaucrat/politician happy. But that still does not alter the fundamental fact. That’s not what the order is asking for. The guy you have to catch is your ISP who needs to ensure he blocks only those sites that the Government has asked him to. This takes a little hard work from what I understand. So, its nothing to do with a clampdown on freedom of speech. So, protesting in the general direction of the government is pointless. Now, Does It Merit A Ban ? Now comes the issue of merit. Is a website that is vaguely attacking Left leaning political parties elsewhere in the world harmful to our digestive process. Am not sure. Is a website that directly or indirectly urges anti-national forces to rally together harmful ? Yes it is. Should we let it be in the interests of complete freedom of speech. Am not sure. You need a very, very liberal approach for this. In any case, this is a separate debate. Either way, it boils down to a discussion on whether the content on any platform (in this case digital) is subversive or dangerous ? It could be magazines, newspapers, films, books or paintings. And what should be done about it. That again is a larger issue which needs to be tackled separately. It has little to do with blogs or websites. Both are delivery platforms for information and opinion. So, lets not make this is a blogs and websites issue. Focus on the fundamental issue if you want to and/or have the energy to. Till then, happy blogging. |
(3 votes, average: 2.33 out of 5)
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July 20th, 2006 at 12:15 pm
DoTs move to ban 20 blogging websites is a good move to stop encouraging anti-national elements thru these bloggers. The terrorist are well-equipped in this digital age of internet and if suppose, some communal conflict info goes thru these websites, one can imagine the consequences, which public will suffer and the critisicm, the govt will get for not keeping a check on these websites.
I think India should adopt to Chinese strategy where in they succeded in creating a Firewall for controversial websites.
July 20th, 2006 at 1:58 pm
Hello,
Nice Article. I believe the ban is removed atleast by some ISPs. I am able to access few blogs now , which were earlier disabled.
July 20th, 2006 at 8:50 pm
Media was used as a propoganda weapon in the times of Hitler too. It is a very lethal weapon - something that can’t be ignored. After the Mumbai blasts, the government needs to be concerned about such blogs, as they can fire up the passions of people who may be distraught with the government over some matter (matters, which for us, may be small - at many government offices, the minority community is not respected, they are treated in a very bad manner). I have seen it myself.
The government in its own way, has taken the right step. It has asked the ISPs to block some sites, but as the providers could not block those few sites, which were named by the government, they blocked all the blogs. Now, it remains to be seen whether the ISPs improve their technology and also whether the government does its bit to show that it is not against democracy.
Let’s keep our fingers crossed and hope for the best.
July 22nd, 2006 at 1:33 pm
Hey the point that i object to is that the government is using the bomb blasts to stop blogs that condem it see the blogs that have been blocked.. i Find hundreds of anti India I hate india, Indians should be murdererd/ killed kinds blogs which surprising haven’t been blocked or even spoken about but a blog titled lets escpose the left is blocked in national security interest???? even some of the other ones one which i have read in the past and clearly remeber as attcking the government at the centre has been conveniantly blocked…. so Its not abt security interest its the governments interest? what say u?
July 28th, 2006 at 6:11 pm
This is very bad news that govt. is blocking a Blogs . If they want to stop ther cyber crime then they can filter but stoping blogs is not solution
January 29th, 2007 at 6:48 pm
Why do you need to ban anything? Everybody says that it is for the betterment of the society. Who is society? I think society should be of rational and sound people. I think every person has capability to decide for himself/herself about his/her actions without influence of any other source. Mere visit to a particular sight is not going to influence his/her basic nature. It will just give him/her a piece of thought which I think ultimately leads to better decisions.