Tuesday 20 January 2015

What Is Sec. 66A?

Section 66A of the Information Technology Act empowers police to arrest people for social media posts.

Activists are fighting against its constitutionality.
Section 66A provides for up to three years in jail as punishment for sending " offensive" or " annoying  messages through computer or other communication devices.

The Central govt on 19 th  Jan. told Apex court , during hearing of 4 PILs  that advisory issued in May 2013 contained

adequate safeguards as it mandated prior permission from a senior police officer before making such arrest.

According to govt, the section 66A  sought to impose reasonable restrictions on the exercise of fundamental right of free speech and expressions.

In present day , even a single unlawful / illegal message or image has a  potential to tear the social fabric and destroy peace and tranquility.

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