No blanket ban on Internet: Parl panel

New Delhi: Putting a check on the government's initiatives to shut down internet services at its "own convenience", the Standing Committee on Communications and Information Technology in its 26th report, which was tabled in Parliament on Wednesday, has expressed displeasure over the blanket ban on Internet services in situations of unrest or law and order crisis.

However, the Parliamentary Committee, which is headed by Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, has suggested exploring options of a ban on selective services like Facebook, WhatsApp, and Telegram instead of banning the Internet as a whole. As per the report, the Committee feels that it will be of great relief if the DoT can explore the option of banning selective services, such as Facebook, WhatsApp, Telegram, etc, instead of banning the internet as a whole.

"This will allow financial services, health, education and various other services to continue to operate for business as usual thereby minimising inconvenience and suffering to the general public and also help in controlling spreading of misinformation during the unrest. Adoption of such less restrictive mechanisms will be a welcome initiative," the panel said in its report.

The Committee also strongly recommended that the DoT urgently examine the recommendation of TRAI and come out with a policy that would enable the selective banning of OTT services with suitable technological intervention, such as Facebook, WhatsApp, Telegram services during periods of unrest/crisis that is liable to be used by the terrorists or antinational element/forces to ferment trouble in the specified regions.

"Till such time every effort should be made to ensure that uninterrupted services are provided through the state broadband network which can be monitored easily for possible misuse," it said.

However, the Committee observed that suspension rules have been grossly misused that led to huge economic loss, and caused untold suffering to the public as well as severe reputational damage to the country.

The Committee, in its report, further noted that frequent suspension of internet on 'flimsy' grounds is uncalled for and must be avoided and there is a need to monitor the exercise of this provision so that these are not misused to the disadvantage of people at large as the government's thrust is on digitisation and knowledge economy with free and open access to the internet at its core.

Notably, despite having regulatory powers, the DoT came out with the suspension rules for regulating the internet shutdown in the country in 2017. The panel also feels that the amendments made in the Suspension Rules are still inadequate. Noting that media was gradually losing its "credibility and integrity", the Committee recommended setting up of a 'Media Council' with statutory powers to check "irregularities" in print, electronic and digital platforms.

In its report on 'Ethical Standards In Media Coverage', submitted in Parliament on Wednesday, the Committee also suggested the creation of a Media Commission comprising experts for wider consultations amongst the interested groups/ stakeholders to evolve a consensus on setting up of the Media Council.