A batch of petitions filed by the Foundation For Independent Journalism and editors of two news websites has been filed in the Delhi high court, challenging the new Information Technology rules for digital news media. The court on March 9, while seeking the Centre’s response on the plea, said, “I am not talking about OTT platforms and social media. I am only concerned with news media and current affairs. The new rules go far beyond anything that is permissible in a democracy.”
A bench of Chief Justice D.N. Patel and Justice Jasmeet Singh issued notices to the ministry of electronics and information technology and granted them time to file their response. The petitioners argued that the new IT rules issued by the government on February 25 are palpably illegal in seeking to control and regulate digital news media when the parent statute IT Act nowhere provides for such a control. They have sought to declare the IT rules as void and inoperative insofar as they define and apply to publishers of news and current affairs content.
Although the high court did not grant the petitioners interim protection to prevent coercive steps taken against digital news media outlets by the authorities till the next date of hearing (April 16), it said that if any coercive action was taken by the Centre, the petitioners may move the court with an application.