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Section 66-A deals with messages sent via computer or communication devices which may be “grossly offensive,” have “menacing character,” or even cause “annoyanc
by andyjohnson0 14y ago
Section 66-A deals with messages sent via computer or communication devices which may be “grossly offensive,” have “menacing character,” or even cause “annoyance or inconvenience.”
Sounds similar to the laws we have here in the UK. Section 127(2) of the Communications Act 2003 [1] states:
(2)A person is guilty of an offence if, for the purpose of causing annoyance, inconvenience or needless anxiety to another, he—
(a)sends by means of a public electronic communications network, a message that he knows to be false,
(b)causes such a message to be sent; or
(c)persistently makes use of a public electronic communications network.
The act allows for imprisonment for up to six months, or a fine. It was the legal basis for the "Twitter Joke" trial [2]. In my opinion it is worryingly broad in its scope.
[1] http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2003/21/section/127 http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2003/21/section/127
[2] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twitter_Joke_Trial http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twitter_Joke_Trial
- experiment0 14y agoGreat speech from Rowan Atkinson about this. http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=gciegyiLYtY http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=g...
- tetomb 14y agoThanks for posting this. http://reformsection5.org.uk/ http://reformsection5.org.uk/ Looks interesting.
- drucken 14y agoThis case, especially in the context of Rowan Atkinson's very eloquent speech, illustrates clearly why it is the West that has to set the standards for free speech. By contrast, given what the UK has done in the past around Internet speech, the Indian case does not look unreasonable!
- jagira 14y agoCertain sections of Indian laws and its constitution were blindly lifted from UK's laws and its constitution.
- aptwebapps 14y agoBut not, presumably, those pertaining to electronic communications.
- drucken 14y agoThe UK has an unwritten constitution...
- fauigerzigerk 14y agoThis law may be too broad as well, but it's not nearly as bad as the Indian one. "a message that he knows to be false" is a pretty important limitation of what the law applies to. Mr. Srinivasan would probably not have been charged under the UK version of the law.