Protest on 9th June for Internet Freedom
FSMI calls for protests across the country, and appeals to all democratic minded citizens to participate on the 9th of June 2012. FSMI also will co-ordinate with other organisations who have called for similar protests on 9th of June.
There is an attack on Internet Freedom from many quarters – the Ministry of IT, various state governments and the police and now certain major Internet Service Providers (ISP's) such as Reliance Communications, Airtel and MTNL. Major sites such as Vimeo and various Torrent sites commonly used for exchange of large files are being blocked by these ISP's, even though no instructions have been issued by the Government.
We have already seen the effect of the IT Rules in which a huge number of requests are now being directed to intermediaries such as Google, Facebook, etc for taking down statements critical of the Government and political figures. Cases are being instituted by the Police under the IT Act against circulating of cartoons, calling it a cyber crime. All this shows that our democratic freedoms guaranteed under the constitution are currently under attack. Equally worrying is the tendency of courts to issue blanket orders -- called John Doe orders -- to protect the Intellectual Property of certain media companies. Reliance Communications, an ISP is acting in the interest of Reliance as a Media company to block a large number of Torrent sites.
Against such actions of the Government and the ISP's, FSMI calls for protests across the country, and appeals to all democratic minded citizens to participate on the 9th of June 2012. FSMI also will co-ordinate with other organisations who have called for similar protests on 9th of June.
Protest at different locations
(1) In Hyderabad, Swecha will organaise at PEOPLES PLAZA, NACKLES ROAD from 4-00p.m to 8-00p.m
(2) In Chennai, FSFTN will organaise at BESANT NAGAR BEACH, CHENNAI from 4-00p.m to 6-00 p.m.
(3) In Bangalore, FSMK will organaise at MYSORE BANK CIRCLE, BANGALORE from 5-00p.m to 8-00p.m.