Thread by @internetfreedom

Has your account been blocked, suspended, or taken down... without notice? (Belated) explanations range from "national interest" to "fake news", but there's no real clarity — who takes them and on what basis? What legal options do we have?

Read 👇🏾
internetfreedom.in/was-your-handl…

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The rate at which accounts are being suspended has increased ➡️ From 3600 in 2019, to 9800 in 2020, to almost 6000 within the first six months of 2021, government takedown orders have grown by leaps.

Excessive & arbitrary restrictions on speech dilute our digital rights.
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In March 2021, in response to an RTI application filed by IFF, the Department of Telecommunications informed us that “94 blocking orders were issued by DoT during 2020 & 2021" and 3725 links were blocked/disabled.

Such widespread censorship undermines our democratic values!
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Even social media platforms are guilty of arbitrary account blockings that supposedly violate their policies & guidelines — but largely lack accountability and transparency as upheld by the Santa Clara Principles. 4/n

santaclaraprinciples.org

This brings us to the increasingly frequent question: what can I do if my account is suspended?

Apart from platform-specific mechanisms, your constitutional rights to speech and expression can be upheld through RTI requests & strategic litigation 👇🏾
internetfreedom.in/was-your-handl…
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IFF regularly supports people whose accounts have been arbitrarily blocked or taken down. We strive to uphold your constitutional rights and increase transparency in digital processes! Read about what you can do, and how we can support you 👇🏾
internetfreedom.in/was-your-handl…

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