Shooting the messenger

The Department of Telecom (DoT) has said that it is evaluating the possibility of blocking mobile applications such as WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram and Telegram during emergencies, especially when national security and public order are under threat. The DoT has written to telecommunications service providers (TSPs) and internet service providers (ISPs), seeking their views on how this objective could be achieved. Typically, DoT sends out such directives — that is, to block websites or URLs  — either because it has been instructed to do so by the country’s courts or on the recommendation of the ministry of electronics and information and