Navigating Tensions and Stabilising Public Safety with Internet Shutdowns

Internet shutdowns have proliferated in the last few years in India owing to the government’s effort to control the spread of rumours and misinformation primarily in periods when there is a possibility of tension or social unrest. This paper examines how public emergency and public safety, which comprises the core of the law for implementing internet suspension, is not adequately defined and therefore, continues to be used indiscriminately. This article reviews the use of internet shutdown as a public safety measure.