The Digital Insecurity Act?

The government has churned out yet another freedom-curtailing law for the parliament to legislate. The Cabinet approval of the updated draftDigital Security Act (DSA) came at a time when rampant abuse of the ICT Act, particularly of Section 57, has been widely acknowledged.

- C R Abrar

The high-ups in the administration, including the hon’ble law minister, on a number of occasions, promised rescinding the particular provision. The spin doctors’ claim that Section 57 found no place in the latest draft law is an affront to people’s intelligence. Citizens are quite aware that the provision in question has not only been retained under dispersed provisions (in some cases with minor changes) but in effect been further augmented.

Quite understandably, several provisions of the bill have generated a lot of discussion and drawn ire of the political opposition, rights activists and journalists. Various commentaries and analyses have convincingly demonstrated how those provisions are not only in sharp contrast to the principle of freedom of expression but also breach the great spirit of the Liberation War.

This piece argues that several provisions of the bill in all likelihood will undermine the much-desired accountable and transparent governance that is a pre-requisite of any democratic polity. It also argues that the draft law is not only a threat to journalists and thus only a

The government has churned out yet another freedom-curtailing law for the parliament to legislate. The Cabinet approval of the updated draftDigital Security Act (DSA) came at a time when rampant abuse of the ICT Act, particularly of Section 57, has been widely acknowledged.

The high-ups in the administration, including the hon’ble law minister, on a number of occasions, promised rescinding the particular provision. The spin doctors’ claim that Section 57 found no place in the latest draft law is an affront to people’s intelligence. Citizens are quite aware that the provision in question has not only been retained under dispersed provisions (in some cases with minor changes) but in effect been further augmented.