Power to block net content around for last 11 yrs: Govt

NEW DELHI: The government said on Saturday that it has not accorded any special emergency powers to the information and broadcasting secretary regarding interim blocking directions of content on internet platforms.
An official statement said that the emergency blocking provision had existed for around 11 years, but was previously a mandate of the IT secretary which is now being shifted to the I&B secretary for OTT platforms and digital media ecosystem as part of the IT (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021. “Certain misgivings are being raised regarding Rule 16 under Part III of the rules, which mention that in a case of emergency nature, interim blocking directions may be issued by the Information and Broadcasting Secretary.
It is to inform that this provision is exactly the same as being exercised by the Secretary, Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology since the past eleven years under the Information Technology (Procedure and Safeguards for Blocking for Access of Information by Public) Rules, 2009.