If you landed up on this page, it is likely because you received an email notification to remove content within 36 hours of the IT Rules being passed. This page attempts to explain what’s up.
You and your website/blog have just become a part of an unprecedented experiment with proposed laws. A test drive of the proposed law (rules, in this case) to see how they would play out if they were passed as proposed. We believe that it is more scientific and result oriented than arbitrary law making thinking that it would be useful.
If you got that email, you got it with reference to a specific url. If the rules were passed in the Parliament, that email would be sufficient for you to be legally required to remove the content specified within 36 hours of receiving it.
I know you think that your content is not legal. That is not relevant to these rules. These rules simply say that anyone can complain about content directly for it to be taken out.
We do think it is a bad idea, which is why this experiment to demonstrate how it could be. You can read more about Operation India and participate to spread awareness and build awareness that will not allow these rules to be passed, saving your content, and that of many unsuspecting others like you, our fundamental rights to free speech.
Now that you have got the email, what do you do?
Here are your choices:
- Nothing. Do nothing. Nothing will happen to your content or you. This is a test drive, no one is persecuting you, though they *could* when the rules get passed.
- Join in. If you believe that it is important that people realize the destructive potential of the proposed rules, participate in Operation India, and mark your content as described in the post. You could go two steps ahead and publish any letters for taking down content that you get and any letters for taking down content that you send.
Here’s to hoping that you never get a real email like that.