For most part of its existence, the internet has been a free medium – arguably the only free medium on such a scale.  Today when the entire nation is battling the Indian Government’s decision to ask internet companies to pre-screen user content before it gets uploaded, we take a look back at some of the recent happenings where our overlords have, in some way or the other, tried to enforce regulations on this free form of media.

15 days back, it was the IRDA posing regulations over the online insurance lead aggregation business model in India. As per IRDA’s draft guidelines, starting February 2012, companies will now need to have a minimum net worth of Rs 10 lakh, and they will have to register themselves with IRDA to become eligible for providing information related to the insurance sector on their websites. According to many people involved in the business, this move by the IRDA is a business-killing move.

In September, 2011, an order was passed by Controller of Certifying Authorities (CCA) asking Yahoo India to pay Rs 11 lakh as penalty for its failure to provide email information of a person in national interest. Justice Rajiv Sahai Endlaw also directed Yahoo India to furnish the requisite information within a week and fixed the matter. However, the Delhi High Court has stayed the order.

In June 2011, Bangalore Police had halted the fleet of Google India cars from capturing pictures of the city. Google had launched a fleet of cars to capture street images that the company will use for Bangalore on Google Maps in India. According to Google, it received a letter from the Commissioner of Police of Bangalore asking it to stop the cars.

In July 2011, the government had set an August 15 deadline for Canada's Research In Motion to provide the country's intelligence agencies with the interception keys to enable real-time tracking of its popular BlackBerry messenger and corporate email services in readable format. "Since RIM had missed its earlier May 15, 2011 deadline, the company has been told to come up with an interception solution by August 15, failing which the government may have to consider suspension of the service," a top official privy to the talks said.

Meanwhile, in May 2011, Google had posted a response against the Indian Government’s amended Internet policy that held the intermediaries responsible for objectionable content posted online. Google Inc. told Indian regulators in a confidential memo that tough proposed restrictions on Internet content could hamper the company and others in a promising market by exposing them to liability for a broad swath of material published by third parties. Google's concerns, laid out in a February 2011, added to criticism from civil-rights advocates who said the rules amounted to a crackdown on free speech on the Web.

These were just some instances in the recent past where the Government did try to impose its overlord-ness. Like with all media there have been times when internet has been used for questionable purposes and people have turned to the government to regulate content online in order to protect children and combat crime, but there is a fine line between regulation and censorship.