‘#BroadcastingServicesBill: Digital License Raj’ #MustRead 🚨
Are you someone who broadcasts news, talks about current affairs on any social media intermediary? Then an inspector might show up at your door without prior notice. You could end up paying lakhs in fines and facing years of imprisonment.
A must-read #Thread to understand how the ‘Digital Bulldozers’ are getting ready to bulldoze you👇
(1/N)
#ContentBacho #KillTheBill #StopBroadcastBill
Before we get into the draft bill, try to understand how bad things are moving forward 👇
For the second draft, a few selected stakeholders were asked to collect their individual copies of the draft and give an undertaking that they would not share it.
What is so secret about this bill that the govt is going to the extent of individually watermarking copies shared with a few and not putting it up in the public domain?
(2/N)
Not just content creators, but even content consumers who tweet, reply, or comment on any current affairs are considered broadcasters and are reportedly mandated to register with the govt.
Definitions reportedly introduced for ‘Digital News Broadcaster,’ ‘Professional,’ ‘Systematic Activity,’ and other terms in the bill are so ambiguous & vague that everyone now falls under it.
(3/N)
After potentially including everyone as a ‘Digital News Broadcaster,’ the bill gives the govt the right to inspect without any prior notice and seize your digital belongings with no questions asked.
Imagine, out of nowhere, an officer landing at your doorstep in the name of inspection & taking away your phone, laptop, etc. That’s how horrible this is!
(4/N)
It doesn’t just end here.
The govt reportedly gains the complete right to have your content deleted, prohibit its transmission, direct channels to go off-air, and impose hefty penalties and imprisonment!
(5/N)
Summarizing in short, after reviewing this ‘Secret Draft Bill,’ it is evident that,
• Everyone who discusses current affairs on social media must register. • The bill extends compliance to everyone, giving the govt full control over your posted content and shared opinions. They can mandate deletions, apologies, or even force you off-air if they choose.
Ultimately, the goal seems to be to make everyone, apart from those who dance to their tunes, stay away from commenting on politics and current affairs.
(6/N)
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