Geek Dashboard Home
  • News
  • Smartphones
    • Android
    • iOS
  • Computers
    • Windows
    • macOS
  • Internet
  • Reviews
Home • News

Govt. Wants to Block WhatsApp, FB, Twitter and more Social Media Apps during National Emergencies

Rahul Krishnan • August 8, 2018 • 3 min read • Leave a Comment
Last modified

You might have heard various countries blocking the access to social media networks in order to avoid riotous situations. We have been closing our eyes towards such happenings as India doesn’t evoke such a measure.

Well, you have to be cautious about it now. Department of Telecommunications (DoT) sought views of the industry on blocking the access to specific apps like WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram, and Telegram. Of course, such a drastic measure will come into force if anything that hampers national security happens.

Department of Telecommunications Sought Views on Blocking Social Media Apps

Indian government wants to block social media apps during national emergencies
Image source:- telecomtalk.info

The telecom department, on July 18, 2018 wrote to Internet Service Providers Association of India (ISPAI), Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI), and all telecom operators seeking their inputs on blocking applications under Section 69A of the IT Act.

The section deals with the power to issue directions to block public access to any information available through any computer resource. That means, the government should be able to block information on the internet (whatever it may be) in the interest of integrity and sovereignty of India.

The Government has risen to a strong stand here after considerable number of mob lynchings. WhatsApp has come under the radar as the platform facilitates the spreading of fake news.

The Facebook-owned platform has already received two warnings from the authority. Moreover, they haven’t yet implemented or handed over a way to trace the messages to the government. They however replied the government that they are working on forming a local team to investigate on the fake news propagation.

The IT ministry made it clear in their message that WhatsApp can’t simply escape from the responsibility for such perilous use of their platform.

As a follow up to the Department of Telecommunications write-up, Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI)) said the service providers have to comply if the government releases such an order. They also added it is a Herculean task to block specific applications rather than blocking the whole network access itself.

The director of COAI told the media that if it became a law or order from the government, they had to obviously follow.

On the other hand, Department of Telecommunications revealed they have no intentions of blocking these applications. Even COAI director highlighted it saying, the write-up was only an exploratory question. But if anything obstruct the national security, operators have to block such apps under licence conditions.

As you already read, it is a tough task to block access to specific applications. In the light of the enquiry from Department of Telecommunications, operators will most probably find a way soon.

News Facebook India Instagram Telecom Telegram Twitter WhatsApp

Be the Change!

Spread the word and help us create better tech content

Facebook Twitter Reddit WhatsApp Pinterest
Avatar for Rahul Krishnan

Rahul Krishnan

•
Facebook Twitter

Rahul Krishnan, a wordsmith from Kerala, India is always in lookout for his next article idea. He is a fanatic reader. And, the rumour is that his mom has recently hidden his debit card so that he can't buy books anymore. She doesn't know he has a spare one.

Read all 509 articles from Rahul

Related Posts

Facebook to Launch New Transparency Tools for Electoral Ads in India

Rahul Krishnan • 3 min read
how to get flat Facebook UI

How to get Flat Facebook UI in PC and Laptop [Easy Way]

Amar Ilindra • 3 min read
Amazon Prime

Amazon India Launched Amazon Academy and Prime Video Mobile Edition

Rahul Rawat • 2 min read
View Instagram Profile Picture in Full size

How to Download or View Instagram Profile Picture of Others in Full Size

Amar Ilindra • 6 min read

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

The comments section is to assist our readers with any inquiries. Each comment undergoes rigorous moderation before it can be approved for publication.Your name and comment will be publicly visible. Your email address will not be published.Required fields are marked *

Over 1,30,286+ Followers

Join now to get all latest updates from Geek Dashboard

Facebook Twitter Telegram Pinterest YouTube Instagram

Recently Published

  1. ASUS ROG Zephyrus and Strix Scar Gaming Laptops with Intel and AMD Chipsets Launched in India
  2. Microsoft Warns Other Search Engines to Restrict Bing Search Data Access for AI Bots
  3. Wings Phantom 380 TWS Earbuds with ANC and 50 Hours of Playtime Launched in India
  4. Samsung Galaxy F14 5G with 90Hz LCD Screen and 50MP Camera Launched in India
  5. Wondershare MobileTrans: The Best Secure Phone to Phone Transfer Solution
  6. Nothing Ear (2) Truly Wireless Earbuds with Improved ANC Launched in India

Download the Apps Now

We put a lot of effort and resources in writing our articles, and we believe it is our responsibility to satisfy your tech hunger

Download Geek Dashboard Android App on Google PlayAndroid App onGoogle Play Download Geek Dashboard Extension on Chrome Web StoreBrowser Extension onChrome Web Store
Geek Dashboard Logo

Geek Dashboard brings you the latest and greatest in technology news, reviews, and how-to guides. From smartphones to laptops, drones to VR and everything in between, we've got you covered

Got a Tip? Write In? tip@geekdashboard.com

© 2012 - 2023 · Geek Dashboard, product of ikva eSolutions

  • Blog
  • Advertise
  • About
  • Jobs
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy
  • Write For Us
  • T&C
  • Office Setup

No dogs were injured while working on this website because we love them