IT Rules framed to regulate ‘unlawful’ content on digital media, OTT platforms: Centre tells Madras HC

Restrictions may be imposed on freedoms for the interest of the public at large, says counter affidavit in response to two writ petitions

The Union Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MEITY) on Friday told the Madras High Court that it had “lawfully” notified the (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules of 2021 to regulate publishers of news and current affairs on digital media and publishers of online curated content on Over the Top (OTT) platforms from publishing “unlawful” content. The submission was made in a counter affidavit before the first Division Bench of Chief Justice Sanjib Banerjee and Justice P.D. Audikesavalu who were seized of two writ petitions filed by Carnatic vocalist T.M. Krishna, the Digital News Publishers Association, and former Editor of The Hindu Mukund Padmanabhan, challenging the Constitutional validity of the statutory rules that were notified on February 25.