India tops list of countries which faced internet shutdowns: Report

1. India tops list of countries which faced internet shutdowns-Report India tops list of countries which faced internet shutdowns-Report Out of the 65 countries assessed, 26 are said to have experienced a deterioration India leads the world in the number of internet shutdowns, with over 100 reported incidents in 2018 alone according to a report titled 'Freedom on the Net' by a US think tank. Delhi-based Software Freedom Law Centre, a legal services organisation, puts the number at 121 as of October 10, 2018. An earlier report by IndiaSpend claimed that nearly 16,315 hours of internet shutdowns over six years till 2017 cost India $3.04 billion (Rs 213.36 billion). Aggregated data collated by SFLC shows that there have been 233 reported instances of suspension of internet services in India in the last seven years. However, 73 per cent of these shutdowns have happened only in the last year and a half.

2. The SLFC report further stated that internet shutdowns go against the human rights of citizens and should call for further questioning on their purpose in the interest of transparency. There are largely three different laws under which such orders are given by the governments. First is Section 144, Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973, which allows the authorities to lay down guidelines to impose “temporary measures to maintain public tranquility.”The 'Freedom on the Net' report offers a READ FULL ARTICLE HERE – BS / BUSINESS STANDARD