Contorversial Indian comedy group All India Bakchod (AIB) have posted a new video online asking people to "save the internet", an initiative that is being strongly backed by Bollywood celebrities.
“The new AIB video is out. This time, we want you to ?#?SaveTheInternet?. Share this video and spread the message to everyone you know who uses the Internet. Please, log on to www.savetheinternet.in,” read a post shared by AIB on their official Facebook page.
In the video, AIB supports net neutrality and says "all content is equal, and all sites must be equally accessible". The AIB video comes after Indian telecom operators such as Airtel, Reliance and Vodafone asked the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) to block or slap licencing fees on apps such as Skype, Whatsapp and Google Handouts, and allow them to charge for internet activities – everything from accessing Google to watching a video clip on YouTube to carrying out a banking transaction – that have been categorised as "Over The Top (OTT) services". The TRAI has released a comprehensive 117-page document titled "Consultation paper on regulatory framework for OTT services" in support of telecom operators, and has asked that "counter comments" be sent in via email to advqos@trai.gov.in May 8, 2015.
Meanwhile, Bollywood celebrities have taken up AIB’s cause and are spreading the message via Twitter:
Shah Rukh Khan: youtube.com/watch?v=mfY1NKrzqi0 … #SaveTheInternet"
Farhan Akhtar: Please give 30 seconds of your time to do this. http://www.savetheinternet.in/
Sonakshi Sinha: #SaveTheInternet #SaveTheInternet #SaveTheInternet #SaveTheInternet #SaveTheInternet #SaveTheInternet
Sidharth Malhotra: #SaveTheInternet push for net neutrality, Internet is a utility not a luxury.
Varun Dhawan: #SaveTheInternet come on india
Ayushmann Khurrana: #SaveTheInternet. Let's do this! https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=mfY1NKrzqi0 … Well done @AllIndiaBakchod
Arjun Kapoor: Come on India, you need to #SaveTheInternet, and here's why https://youtu.be/mfY1NKrzqi0 make ur click count #NetNeutralityIndia
Bipasha Basu: #SaveTheInternet Nowwwwww!
Riteish Deshmukh: Everyone needs to see this video - All India Bakchod - Our new video is about why we should back Net Neutrality #SaveTheInternet: http://youtu.be/mfY1NKrzqi0
Parineeti Chopra: Save the internet!!! Net neutrality is crucial!! Proud of you boyses!! @mojorojo @thetanmay @AllIndiaBakchod
Alia Bhatt: #SaveTheInternet
Richa Chadha: We live in a unique country, where the government wants to make it easier for us to be looted EVERYDAY. #NetNeutrality #SavetheInternet
Aditi Rao Hydari: This is essential!Thank you @AllIndiaBakchod fr explaining it so damn well! https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=mfY1NKrzqi0 … we need #NetNeutrality #SaveTheInternet
Anubhav Sinha: Bad news about #SaveTheInternet is that a lot of you still think its not about you. IT IS!!! LISTEN UP!!!
Gul Panag: Send TRAI your views, protect #NetNeutralityIndia and #SaveTheInternet - http://www.savetheinternet.in (I just did)
Vishal Dadlani: Is the Hindi media telling the people that their use of Whatsapp, Facebook and YouTube is being threatened? #NetNeutrality #SaveTheInternet
artslife@thenational.ae
