Congress MP Dr Shashi Tharoor has written to the chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Subordinate Legislation urging a review of India's internet shutdowns rules, officially called the Temporary Suspension of Telecom Services (Public Emergency or Public Safety Rules), 2017. Addressing the chairman of the committee, BJP MP Dilip Kumar Gandhi, Tharoor talks about the negative consequences of the internet shutdown rules. He writes that there have 121 internet shutdowns in 2018, the highest globally. According to him, internet bans are problematic because: They burden the economy and specifically, small business which rely on online transactions. He writes that internet bans in 2018 have led to a loss of Rs 22,154 crore in the country. They curb free speech of a "large section of the population for a prolonged period". They are counterproductive to controlling tense situations; when people are prevented from contacting one another, "the hostile environment is exacerbated". Why Tharoor called for a review No consultations: The internet shutdown rules were passed without any pre-legislative consultation, this "casts a doubt" on whether the concerns of the stakeholders have been considered Vests issue orders with executive: The rules empower the central and state executives to issue internet bans, as opposed to the Indian Penal Code which rests this power in quasi-judicial officers, the district magistrate of sub-district magistrate. "The lack of procedural safeguards will enable the executive to use these powers in a high-handed manner," he writes. According to him, the absence of an appeals process and lack of…
