Concerns Rise Over Court Order Affecting Journalists and Content Creators

Court Order Sparks Alarm Among Journalists

Numerous journalists and content creators have reported receiving notices from social media platforms and the government regarding the removal of unverified and allegedly defamatory content related to Adani Enterprises Limited (AEL) following a court ruling. The Editors Guild of India has labeled this development as troubling.

The Editors Guild expressed significant concern over a recent directive from a Delhi court, which prohibits nine journalists, activists, and organizations from publishing or broadcasting unverified, unsubstantiated, and directly defamatory reports about AEL. The court has mandated the removal of such content within five days.

In a statement, the Editors Guild highlighted that the order alarmingly grants the corporate entity the authority to forward any URLs and links of content it deems defamatory to social media companies or government agencies, compelling them to remove such material within 36 hours.

The Guild also criticized the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting for its equally concerning actions, which involved issuing notices to social media platforms like YouTube and Instagram, ordering the removal of over 138 YouTube links and 83 Instagram posts.

The statement expressed the Guild's worry that such extensive powers granted to a corporate entity, along with ministerial actions to issue removal directives, represent a step towards censorship.

The Guild emphasized, 'A free and fearless press is essential for democracy. Any system that allows private interests to unilaterally silence critical or uncomfortable voices poses a serious threat to the public's right to know.'

Aakash Banerjee, a satirist running the YouTube channel 'Deshbhakt', stated that he and other independent YouTubers were given just 36 hours to remove over 200 pieces of content without any opportunity to contest the order.