Wikimedia says India’s proposed intermediary liability rules will impact Wikipedia and limit access to information online, urges government to redraft rules (Amanda Keton/Wikimedia Foundation)
“We’ve seen what can happen when the government tries to regulate the Internet.” India’s proposed intermediary liability rules will affect the availability and access to information online. Wikimedia, the nonprofit organization that operates Wikipedia, calls on the Indian government to revise its rules. The proposed new rules would hold platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and Google liable if third parties use the platform to spread misinformation. This will reduce the ability of individuals and organizations to express themselves online and limits the amount of information they can access. Wikipedia has called for the rules to be amended, saying they threaten freedom of expression and access to information.
What is Wikimedia?
Wikimedia is an international nonprofit organization that makes all Wikipedia content free to edit and access for everyone. They do this by providing volunteers with funding to support Wikipedia and its sister projects. Wikimedia has been around since 2001 and has more than 1.5 million volunteer contributors. Their wiki pages are the second most-visited website in the world, and there are over 20 million registered users of the platform.
How India’s proposed intermediary liability rules will impact Wikipedia?
Wikimedia says India’s proposed intermediary liability rules will impact Wikipedia and limit access to information online, urges government to redraft rules. Wikipedia is a nonprofit that relies on volunteer editors and the contributions of its users to create and maintain a free online encyclopedia. But last week, Wikipedia cofounder Jimmy Wales warned that the new proposed regulations in India would hurt the site’s ability to function. These new rules would require websites such as Wikipedia to keep records of user IP addresses and the content they upload. These records could be used to sue anyone who posts defamatory material on the site.
How India’s proposed intermediary liability rules will impact limit access to information online?
Wikimedia’s legal team in India has responded to draft legislation (see below) to amend Indian copyright law to establish intermediary liability for intermediaries between a user and an online content provider. The proposed changes aim to protect intermediaries from being held liable for links to infringing content on their sites; however, they could have implications for Wikipedia, which relies heavily on user-generated content.
How India’s proposed intermediary liability rules will urges government to redraft rules?
Wikimedia says India’s proposed intermediary liability rules will impact Wikipedia and limit access to information online, urges government to redraft rules, On July 23rd, the Indian government proposed amendments to the Information Technology Act (ITA), a law that governs internet usage in India. This includes an amendment that seeks to hold websites liable if they provide third parties with unauthorized access to user data. According to a report released by Wikipedia India, this change could limit access to free and open content online. In a statement, Wikipedia India said that such changes “will hurt people’s ability to share freely and openly on the Internet” and urged the government to reconsider its proposed regulations.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Wikimedia strongly opposes the proposed intermediary liability rules in India because we believe they will significantly undermine public interest and the free online flow of information. Wikimedia will continue supporting the existing intermediary liability laws that protect users’ rights while ensuring service providers are held accountable for user-generated content. Wikimedia says India’s proposed intermediary liability rules will impact Wikipedia and limit access to information online, urges government to redraft rules. We urge the Indian Government to reconsider its proposal and adopt a new set of intermediary liability rules to promote transparency, freedom of expression and knowledge sharing through Internet platforms. We will continue to work with policymakers, civil society and citizens worldwide to protect the free flow of information and build an inclusive, knowledge-sharing community.
FAQs
1. What are the proposed intermediary liability rules?
The proposed intermediary liability rules are rules for intermediaries that provide access to copyrighted content on the Internet. The rules would require intermediaries to take responsibility for what they host, including material that infringes copyright.
2. How does this affect Wikipedia?
Wikimedia has argued that the intermediary liability rules will hurt Wikipedia by limiting access to information online. The rules are being proposed as part of India’s Digital Media Bill, introduced in 2011 and currently being debated in Parliament.
3. How does this impact Wikipedia?
If the intermediary liability rules are adopted in India, it could impact Wikipedia and other websites.
4. Why should I care?
If you are an Indian citizen, you should care because you could be affected by these intermediary liability rules. The proposed rules could affect your right to access information online.
