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Telecommunications Bill of 2023: Rights bodies and activists call for withdrawal of telecom bill

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More than 50 domestic and international organisations such as Signal Foundation, Access Now, Eko, Digital Rights Watch Freedom House and others as well as seven 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”.

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“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 emergency or in the interest of public safety.

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It has also mandated that on occurrence of such a public emergency or in the interest of public safety, the government may “direct that any message or class of messages, to or from any person or class of persons, to or from any telecommunication equipment or class of telecommunication equipment” be disclosed to an officer designated by the central government in an “intelligible format”. The government has, however sought to downplay the concerns of the expansion of surveillance powers of the government. Senior government officials had told ET that the concerns around forced interception of messages on over-the-top (OTT) apps were unfounded and that the government would deal with these issues in the Digital India Bill as and when it was brought.

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More than 50 domestic and international organisations such as Signal Foundation, Access Now, Eko, Digital Rights Watch Freedom House and others as well as seven 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 College Course Website
Indian School of Business ISB Professional Certificate in Product Management Visit
IIM Kozhikode IIMK Senior Management Programme Visit
Indian School of Business ISB Product Management Visit

“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 emergency or in the interest of public safety.

Discover the stories of your interest


It has also mandated that on occurrence of such a public emergency or in the interest of public safety, the government may “direct that any message or class of messages, to or from any person or class of persons, to or from any telecommunication equipment or class of telecommunication equipment” be disclosed to an officer designated by the central government in an “intelligible format”. The government has, however sought to downplay the concerns of the expansion of surveillance powers of the government. Senior government officials had told ET that the concerns around forced interception of messages on over-the-top (OTT) apps were unfounded and that the government would deal with these issues in the Digital India Bill as and when it was brought.

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