Wednesday 11 May 2011

World Bank Loans Accountability And Google’s Censorship

India is one of the most Endemic E-Surveillance Countries of the World, says Praveen Dalal, managing partner of Perry4Law and leading techno legal expert of India. India is also perhaps the only country of the World where Phone Tapping and E-Surveillance is done without Judicial Scrutiny, informs Dalal. If this is not enough we have an Endemic E-Surveillance oriented Cyber Law in India, says Dalal.

Information technology act, 2000 (IT Act 2000) is the sole cyber law of India. It also carries provisions that are clearly illegal and unconstitutional. For instance, provisions regarding e-surveillance, Internet censorship and website blocking are violative of the Constitution of India, says Dalal.

In India websites can be blocked by mere written directions by governmental agencies. Further, constitutional and legal web posts can be removed or censored by merely asking for the same. What is surprising is the fact that even big companies like Google are more than willing to obey the illegal and unconstitutional orders of Indian government.

I wrote a critical article titled “Does World Bank Sees What Happens to Its Loans? For some strange reasons, this article of mine was censored by Google. Of late Google has been censoring and messing up with search results regarding views and opinions that are critical to Indian government. For instance, articles on Aadhar project and UIDAI are frequently censored by Google. Thanks to the draconian cyber law of India, this is now possible without following any due process in India.

Recently e-delivery of public services development policy loan has been granted by World Bank to India. However, there is no accountability for the loan so granted and till now neither World Bank nor Indian government has shown any initiatives or laid down any blueprint in this regard. Till now no practical and effective e-governance has been ensured by either World Bank or Indian government and public at large has been fooled in this regard.

Now Google is trying to manipulate with the news results as well as search engines results pages (SERPS) by expressly going against its motto of don’t be evil. However, irrespective of the draconian cyber law of India, censorship by Google, and manipulations by Indian government, we would keep a close watch upon the recent loan of World Bank. If need arise, we may directly contact World Bank for any clarification in this regard.