Madras HC Also Banned Two Provisions Of The New IT Rules

Madras HC also banned two provisions of the new IT Rules, Bombay High Court has also given a stay on the provisions related to media.

The Madras High Court has stayed the implementation of two clauses of the Information Technology Rules 2021.

The High Court took this decision after the petitioners expressed apprehensions that these clauses would hamper the freedom of the media and were against democratic values.

In August, the Bombay High Court had also passed a similar order staying certain provisions of the new Information Technology Rules. The Madras High Court has stayed sub-clauses (1) and (3) of IT Rule 9.

Madras HC also banned two provisions of new IT rules: These clauses were included in the IT rules implemented earlier in February last.

A bench of High Court Chief Justice Sanjib Banerjee and Justice PD Adikeshavalu passed the interim order after hearing a PIL filed by music composer TM Krishna and Digital News Publishers Association.

The association comprises 13 media outlets from Tamil Nadu. The petition challenges the constitutional validity of the IT Rules.

“Prima facie it appears that the government has put in place a system to control the media (print and electronic),” the bench said. This will affect media freedom and democratic values.

The bench will hear the matter again in the last week of October. Meanwhile, information about petitions of this nature will also be made available to the Supreme Court.

The Bombay High Court had also stayed the clause (1) and (3) of Rule 9 in August citing democratic values.

Recently, the Supreme Court had raised serious concerns regarding fake news on social media platforms and web portals.

The Supreme Court had said that the image of the country is being tarnished due to the color of communalism in the news shown in a section of the media.

At the same time, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Central Government, had said that IT rules have been made for the regulation of online content including web portals.

The Supreme Court also said that social media listens only to powerful voices.