After the Editors Guild of India and the Association of Indian Magazines filed petitions against the April amendment to the IT Rules, the Bombay High Court tagged both petitions to a plea in the same matter filed by comedian Kunal Kamra.
According to LiveLaw, the central government simultaneously extended its stay on notifying the amendment to July 10.
The amendment, originally notified on April 6, said social media companies and other intermediaries must take down content deemed fake by a government fact-check unit. It was widely criticised by press groups, opposition leaders and journalists. Kamra’s plea, filed a few days later, said the rules “have a chilling effect and are enough to chill people”.
The Guild’s petition also challenged the constitutional validity of the amendment for “violating the right to freedom of speech and expression”.
Bombay HC issues notice writ petitions by the Editors Guild challenging amendments to IT Rule 2021, which allowed a govt constituted “fact checking unit” sweeping powers for ordering takedown of content deemed “fake or misleading”. Stays the rules till July 10 pic.twitter.com/WoB2rVgVi0
— Editors Guild of India (@IndEditorsGuild) June 7, 2023
Newslaundry has reported on length on the controversies surrounding the amendment and why it’s a blow for press freedom. Read about it here.
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