Govt’s Bid to Fight Terrorism Online May Bring 66A Replacement
The government is set to bring a new avatar to the draconian Section 66A of the IT Act amid growing terrorism online.
The government has drafted what it calls a foolproof replacement for the scrapped Section 66A, barely a year after it scrapped the draconian law, reports The Economic Times.
The original Section 66A of the IT Act had allowed arrests for posting ‘objectionable content’ online. The Supreme Court had in 2015 observed that Section 66A “does not protect public order although that is the ostensible object of the provision” and said it was vague.
The report says that the government took the decision to ‘rework’ the section because of the rise in the number of cases where social media is being used to undermine peace and national security. The new avatar of the section claims to be milder and more specific, says the report.
A senior government official told The Economic Times the new clause is being brought in to deal with terror and serious law & order issues. It would not be vague like its previous counterpart.
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