Centre plans to curb online hate speech

The Union home ministry has asked the Law Commission to draft a law to curb online “hate speech”, The Hindu reported on Tuesday – mainly offensive content being spread on social media.

The move is being considered in the wake of a panel – headed by former Lok Sabha secretary general TK Viswanathan and formed after the Supreme Court scrapped Section 66A of the Information Technology Act in 2015 – submitting a report recommending stricter laws to curb online hate speech.

“Such crimes are being registered under various other sections like sedition or other sections of the Information Technology Act. If the law is amended, it will provide us with the extent of the problem,” the report quoted a National Crime Records Bureau official as saying. The scrapped provision provided punishment for sending offensive messages through communication services.

The proposed 153 C (b) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) – incitement to hatred – recommended punishment of two years’ imprisonment and Rs 5,000 fine or both, saying “whoever on grounds of religion, race, caste or community, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, place of birth, residence, language, disability or tribe, uses any means of communication to – (a) gravely threaten any person or group of persons with the intention to cause fear of injury or alarm; or (b) advocate hatred towards any person or group of persons that causes, or is likely to cause, incitement to commit an offence.” The 267th report of the Law Commission had recommended inserting additional provisions in sections 153 505, The Hindu report said.