2-month internet ban Manipur High Court orders partial lifting

Imphal: In response to the ongoing violence and continued shootings and deaths in Manipur, the Manipur High Court has ordered partial lifting of the two-month internet ban imposed by the state government.
The court’s decision comes as a relief to residents who have been severely affected by the internet blackout, which has disrupted the payment of bills, educational activities and normal operations of private firms.
The internet ban was initially imposed on May 3 following ethnic violence between the Kuki tribe, who make up the majority mountain population, and the Meiteis, who make up the majority population in the valley.
The Meiteis have demanded to be given Scheduled Tribe (ST) status. The government’s motive behind the ban was to prevent the spread of fake information and prevent violence.
However, this ban did not prove effective in preventing the continuation of violent incidents.
The High Court has directed the N Biren Singh government to restore internet access to those who have lines and fiber optic connections.
In addition, the court recommended that the government consider restoring limited Internet access for domestic communications on a case-by-case basis, following the recommendations of the Expert Committee to Examine Internet Ban.
The court’s interim order paves the way for restoring internet connectivity to “whitelisted” phone numbers, subject to the next hearing on July 25.
The government has been directed to examine the feasibility of providing internet services to whitelisted mobile phones without compromising the security of the state or the safety of citizens.
The security measures recommended by the expert committee include limiting internet speed to 10 Mbps and maintaining a whitelist of authorized mobile numbers, as provided by the Home Department.
The service providers have assured that internet access will be restricted to these whitelisted mobile numbers only, ensuring that there is no unauthorized access or information leakage.
To address concerns about possible misuse of Internet access, the government has proposed that whitelisted users take personal responsibility for any illegal actions taken by secondary users through their network. Sign the undertaking.
Primary subscribers will also be required to maintain logs of secondary users and their internet usage details.
The Manipur government has assured the High Court that it will conduct a trial for restricted internet access and submit a report within 15 days outlining the progress in implementing the recommended security measures.