Editors Guild of India Applauds Bombay High Court's Rejection of 2023 IT Amendment Rules

The Editors Guild of India has welcomed the Bombay High Court's decision to strike down the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Amendment Rules of 2023. The rules had intended to empower the government to create a Fact-Check Unit to identify fake information on social media. The court found the rules unconstitutional, infringing on rights to equality and freedom of speech.

The Editors Guild of India has expressed relief following the Bombay High Court's decision to nullify the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Amendment Rules of 2023, which proposed the establishment of a government Fact-Check Unit.

The contentious amendment aimed to empower the Central government to identify 'fake and misleading' information on social media. However, the Guild argued that such rules would negatively impact press freedom, prompting them to challenge the constitutional validity of the amendments in June last year.

The judgment, delivered by Justice A S Chandurkar, declared the rules unconstitutional, citing their vague and broad nature, and potential to cause a 'chilling effect' on both individuals and social media intermediaries.

(With inputs from agencies.)