Not that we haven’t heard murmurs of the Indian government wanting to regulate content on the Internet before, but this one has implications for international publications: the Information and Broadcasting Ministry wants to extend its mandate of regulation to cover all online news. As per a draft proposal, online editions of foreign publications will have to register in India, else be deemed illegal and hence blocked access from India, reports reports Financial Express..

SEE ALSO: Parliamentary Committee Suggests That Service Providers Be Held Liable For Content

Earlier, a parliamentary committee had recommended that ISPs be held liable for content that is transferred through their pipes. It’s around a year since the government had attempted to muzzle free speech by blocking blogs in India - a move implemented through it’s cyber security group called CERT-IN. After much international condemnation, the block was removed. The Internet is something like an anarchic underground in India, though in full public view, and the increasing influence that opinions expressed online via blogs and petitions also appear to be cause for concern for the government.