Rights bodies and activists call for withdrawal of telecom bill
digital rights activists have written to the government, asking it to withdraw the Telecommunications Bill of 2023.
In their letter addressed to union minister for telecommunications Ashwini Vaishnaw dated December 21, these organisations have said that the bill «imperils encryption», «amplifies unchecked powers of the government» and «enhances surveillance without independent oversight».
Elevate Your Tech Prowess with High-Value Skill Courses
Offering CollegeCourseWebsiteIIM KozhikodeIIMK Senior Management ProgrammeVisitIndian School of BusinessISB Professional Certificate in Product ManagementVisitIIM KozhikodeIIMK Advanced Data Science For ManagersVisit«The Bill would threaten this foundational element that enables people to communicate freely and privately, in an environment of ever-increasing surveillance and cyberattacks, and potentially even resulting in such secure services choosing to not operate in India, to the detriment of all,» these organisations said, in the letter. ET has seen a copy of the letter.
The Telecommunications Bill of 2023, which was passed in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday, was also passed in the Rajya Sabha on Thursday. The new bill, when assented to by the President, will replace three archaic laws such as the Telegraph Act of 1885 and the Indian Wireless Telegraphy Act of 1933.
Calling for the withdrawal of the bill, these organisations, through the letter, said without substantial amendments to the current version of the bill, «India will have failed to take the opportunity to showcase leadership among democracies in the digital age that the overhaul of the telecommunication framework presents».
The Bill allows the Centre to take possession of a telecom network in case of any public
