New
Delhi:
The Supreme Court will consider transferring to itself all cases linked to the
new Information and Technology rules for digital media and giving it a combined
hearing. The plea came from the centre, which filed a transfer petition days
after the Bombay High Court put on hold a part of new rules that seeks to
regulate content on digital news websites.
The
court ordered that the petition be listed along with a case against media
reports on the Tablighi Jamaat gathering in Delhi last year, which was blamed
for a spike in Covid cases. The hearing will be held after six weeks.
On
August 16, the Bombay High Court put on hold the implementation of rules which
required digital news media to compulsorily follow the code of conduct laid
down by the Press Council of India, a self-regulating press watchdog, and the
country's cable TV code.
Various
petitions have been pending in different high courts across the country - many
of them challenging the new laws. Several courts have already said that no
coercive action can be taken against publishers who have not implemented the
rules. The relief to the publications remain in place for now.
In
response to a challenge, the Delhi High Court has refused to put a freeze on
the rules.
In
its order, the Bombay High Court said some of the requirements under the
amendment violate freedom of speech, following petitions filed by legal news
portal The Leaflet and journalist Nikhil Wagle, challenging parts of the new
rules.
Other
parts of the rules have been challenged in other courts. Even social media
platform WhatsApp has filed a petition against a requirement that it break
end-to end encryption under certain circumstances.
The
government, which went to the Supreme Court asking for a stop to the
challenges, suffered a setback after the top court declined.
The
centre has said the new rules seek to “prevent the misuse of the freedom of
press” and protect people from fake news in digital media.
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