New IT Rules: Madras HC notice to Govt after digital news publishers’ plea

Following a plea by the Digital News Publishers Association (DNPA), wherein the Association has challenged the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules 2021, the Madras High Court has issued notices to the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology and the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting (MIB).

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The Court has given two weeks’ time to these two Ministries to file their counter-affidavits.

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According to an Indian Express report, the Digital News Publishers Association has petitioned that the rules violated Articles 14 (equality), 19 (1) (a) and 19 (1) (g) of the Constitution (right to freedom of speech and expression and right to profession).

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The Association has petitioned the Madras High Court that it retrained the operation of Rules 12, 14 and 16 Rule 16 of the new IT Rules that give emergency powers to the I&B Secretary to block public access to any content without giving the intermediary hosting the said content any opportunity of hearing. While as per Rule 12 one or more self-regulatory body of publishers can be set up, As per Rule 14, the MIB can constitute an inter-departmental committee with representatives from other Ministries.