SC raps govt on WhatsApp

IN Media Watch Briefs | 14/07/2018

The Supreme Court   asked   whether the government is trying to create a surveillance state while hearing a petition filed by Trinamool Congress MLA Mahua Moitra on the tender for a Social Media Communication Hub. But in Kashmir, admins of Whatsapp groups have been directed to register themselves with the district administration since 2016! Last week, in Kishtwar, 21 groups have been issued notices for failing to do so.                          

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The new term for self censorship is voluntary censorship, as proposed by companies like Netflix and Hotstar. ET reports that streaming video service Amazon Prime is opposing a move by its peers to adopt a voluntary censorship code in anticipation of the Indian government coming up with its own rules. Amazon is resisting because it fears that it may alienate paying subscribers.                   

Clearly, the run to the 2019 elections is on. A journalist received a call from someone saying they were from Aajtak channel and were conducting a survey, asking whom she was going to vote for in 2019. On being told that her vote was secret, the caller assumed she wasn't going to vote for 'Modiji'. The caller, a woman, also didn't identify herself. A month or two earlier the same journalist received a call, this time from a man, asking if she was going to vote for the BSP.                 

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