The Project

In the backdrop of the wanton and ever-increasing use of the Digital Security Act (DSA) since its inception, the Centre for Governance Studies (CGS) initiated a research project in early 2020 to gather information about various aspects of the Digital Security Act 2018, particularly the impact of the law. Under this project, information about cases, detentions, and legal proceedings under the Digital Security Act were gathered.

This report is based on data collected from 1 January 2020 to 28 February 2022. Previously, we published the analysis of data gathered between January 1, 2020, to March 25, 2021 in a report titled “Digital Security Act, 2018: How Is It Being

Enforced”. It was published in April 2021. This report includes the data presented in the previous report; however, we also provide a comparison between these two sets of data to see whether there have been any changes in the pattern. These data were gathered from government-approved print and electronic media, the accused or their family and friends, the lawyer of the accused, and police stations and other concerned departments. The data are presented and regularly updated at the website: https://freedominfo.net/

During this period, detailed information about 890 cases have been gathered. The number of total accused persons in these cases are 2244. Based on these cases, the information obtained on various aspects of the application of this law has been analyzed. These cases show how the law has been used by both the government agencies and individuals and how they created immeasurable hardship with no end in sight.