The Bombay high court on Friday said the recently amended Information Technology (IT) Rules against fake content on social media against the government may be excessive, quipping that one cannot bring a hammer to kill an ant.
'Don't want the government to set up a committee on its own'
Police had sought an extension of Zubair's custody by five days.
A new law that defines how companies should process users' data came into force with the President giving assent to the Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Act passed by Parliament in the just-concluded monsoon session. The law arms individuals with greater control over their data while allowing companies to transfer users' data abroad for processing, except to nations and territories restricted by the Centre through notification. It also gives the government power to seek information from firms and issue directions to block content.
A bench comprising Chief Justice N V Ramana and Justices Surya Kant and Hima Kohli has listed as many as 12 PILs, including the ones filed by Editors Guild of India and veteran journalists N Ram and Sashi Kumar, for hearing on February 23.
The complaint was filed for various offences punishable under sections 420 (cheating), 468 and 469 (forgery), 471 (fraud), 500 (defamation) r/w 120B (criminal conspiracy) and 34 (criminal act) of the Indian Penal Code.
The surprise action comes weeks after the broadcaster aired a two-part documentary on the 2002 Gujarat riots and India.
A bench headed by the CJI said the apex court is not against debates but when the matter in pending in court, it should be deliberated upon here.
Particularly the small and independent Web sites that have developed a following in the recent past because the mainstream is seen as totally aligned with the government, points out Aakar Patel.
The guild also demanded that the decision be withdrawn immediately.
The administration -- which has been facing flak on the issue with the Editors Guild of India terming the events a 'coup' and a continuing trend to smother press freedom -- cited 'unpleasant developments and dissensions between various groups of journalists' as the reason for the takeover of the premises in Srinagar's high street Polo Ground area.
The hearing on as many as nine petitions, including those filed by the Editors Guild of India and senior journalists seeking independent probe into the alleged Pegasus snooping matter is presently on.
The Editors Guild of India on Sunday condemned the "arbitrary" and "high-handed" treatment by the Delhi police of Iftikhar Gilani, his wife and young children.
The Supreme Court on Thursday expressed concern over the misuse of "colonial era" penal law on sedition and sought response of the Centre on pleas including the one filed by the Editors Guild of India challenging the validity of the provision.
Assuring that government does not plan to censor internet and social media, Law Minister Salman Khurshid said adequate provisions are already in place and IT ministry is also holding consultations with various stakeholders to address concerns on objectionable content.
Condoling the death of veteran investigative reporter J Dey in Mumbai, the Editors Guild of India on Saturday urged the Maharashtra government to take immediate steps to ensure that the killers are brought to justice."The Editors Guild deplores the law enforcement agencies' inability to protect the life of a journalist engaged in carrying out his professional duties at great risk to himself," Guild president T N Ninan and Secretary Coomi Kapoor said in a statement.
The Editors Guild on Tuesday termed as "ill-considered" the comments made by the new Press Council of India Chairman Markandey Katju against the media and vowed to oppose any move by it to assume "draconian" powers and bring the electronic media under its ambit.
The Editors Guild of India is 'deeply shocked' and 'seriously concerned' at the increasing number of reports detailing the pernicious practice of publishing 'paid news' by some newspapers and television channels, especially during recent elections.
The guild's members and all journalists have the duty of holding all branches of government accountable by seeking information, explanations and constitutionally valid justifications for state action and inaction, it said.
The 'Aadhar' unique identification number will enable inclusive growth and development for the deprived and will act as an instrument of social inclusion, UIDAI chairman Nandan Nilekani said.
Citing national security, the Centre had refused to file a detailed affidavit in the matter.
The pleas are related to reports of alleged snooping by government agencies on eminent citizens, politicians and scribes by using Israeli firm NSO's spyware Pegasus.
A total of 326 cases were registered in the country under the controversial colonial era law of sedition between 2014 and 2019 in which just six persons were convicted.
Everybody knows what's happening. How I feel is not important. How the people are feeling is important'
The Editors Guild of India (EGI) and the Sports Journalists' Federation of India (SJFI) on Friday outrightly rejected the "appalling" accreditation norms put forward by the Indian Premier League (IPL) authorities.
The leaders of non-Bharatiya Janata Party parties and the media bodies also demanded immediate withdrawal of the order imposing the blackout on November 9.
Two leading journalists' bodies on Thursday expressed shock and concern over Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao's remarks threatening to "bury the media 10-km under the earth if it insults" his state.
The committee has shared an online form consisting of 11 questions seeking comments of lay persons until March 31.
The Supreme Court agreed to hear on Friday, instead of Wednesday, a batch of pleas alleging the use of Israeli spyware for surveillance of certain people in India, after taking note of the submissions of the solicitor-general that he would be busy arguing a money-laundering case in another court.
Samriddhi Sakunia and Swarna Jha, journalists with HW News Network, were produced before the court of Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM) of Gomati district Shubhra Nath, who granted them bail on bail bonds of Rs 7,500.
A Delhi court will pass the order on Tuesday on the bail plea of freelance journalist Mandeep Punia arrested by the Delhi Police from the Singhu border protest site here where farmers are agitating against the three contentious agri laws.
'It is a very clear case of an attempt to bend the media.'
In a statement, the Guild demanded that such FIRs be withdrawn immediately and the media be allowed to report without fear and with freedom.
"We condemn the attack on press freedom in #Maharashtra. This is not the way to treat the press. This reminds us of the emergency days when the press was treated like this," the minister tweeted.
He also said the government should reform its policy to safeguard privacy of its citizens.
The Centre had earlier filed a short affidavit on the matter.
It demanded that the government take note of the cases of disruptions in television programme signals, investigate and explain how and under what circumstances these 'egregious violations' are taking place.
The Supreme Court on Tuesday issued notice to the Centre on a batch of pleas seeking an independent probe into the alleged Pegasus snooping matter, making it clear that it did not want the government to disclose anything which might compromise national security.
People in Bukhari's field could not digest the fact that he was no more.
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