India is free today, CEO of MouthShut on Section 66A

MouthShut.com’s battle against the IT Act 2011 was on two principles: We believed that people have the ultimate right to express their opinions, online as well as offline and we believed that the current provisions restricted their freedom of expression and forced companies like us to censor the content posted by them.

The seeds for India’s digital economy were painstakingly sown by hundreds of entrepreneurs who believed that this great nation needs a thriving digital ecosystem to provide millions of jobs to its youth. Just when the seeds bloomed into little plants, then the provisions of the IT Act hit them.

I am truly pleased that the highest court of the land has upheld our petitions. No more arrests, 66A has been struck off. No more content take-down, unless there’s a court order. It is a privilege to be a citizen of a democracy like India where an ordinary citizen can appeal to a powerful court.

Today’s verdict has set the ball rolling for the great digital transformation. There are many battles ahead in making India truly digital, but this was the most fundamental. Now no more arrests. No more censorship. Thank you to each and every Indian and friends of India. This is your victory. India is free!