TITA welcomes SC decision on quashing 66A of IT Act

The Telangana Information Technology Association (TITA) appreciated Supreme Court judgment of scrapping the contentious section 66A of Information Technology (IT) Act that empowers the police to make arrests over contentious social media posts. It's a victory of the people who want to raise their voice against the wrong doings.

"This is a landmark judgment for 30Crore 20Lakh strong Internet users in India. Section 66A defines the punishment for sending “offensive” messages through a computer or any other communication device like a mobile phone or a tablet. The vagueness about what is “offensive”. The word has a very wide connotation, and is open to distinctive, varied interpretations. It is subjective, and what may be innocuous for one person, may lead to a complaint from someone else. Most of the terms used in the section have not been specifically defined under the Act. This section tramples upon the Fundamental Right to freedom of speech and expression." Said TITA Founder & President Sundeep Kumar Makthala.

"It's a victory of the people who want to raise their voice against the wrong doings. Internet is not just about things like e-commerce, it is also about expression." Said Makthala.

TITA requested social media portals to have strong terms and make sure nobody post libelous content.