NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Friday barred the posting and circulation of audio and video recordings of judicial proceedings on social media without prior permission, citing misuse of such content.
A three-judge Bench of Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V. Mohana passed the interim order while hearing a plea seeking to restrain unauthorised use of court recordings.
“As an interim measure, it is directed that there shall be no extraction, modification, dissemination, monetisation, posting, reposting and uploading of audio-video recordings of judicial proceedings on social media or other digital platforms without prior permission of the secretary general of this court or the registrar general of the jurisdictional high courts,” the court said.
The Bench clarified that the order would not affect news reporting of court proceedings.
The court also issued notices to the Centre and social media platforms on the petition filed by journalist Harshita Grover.
Observing that court proceedings should not be turned into entertainment, the Bench said, “It can’t be a 24×7 entertainment channel by the court,” and underlined the need to regulate access to such material.
Senior advocate Vikas Singh, appearing for the petitioner, submitted that edited clips of proceedings were being circulated online, often presenting a distorted picture.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta supported the need for regulation, stating that selective portions of proceedings were being taken out of context and made viral.
He also raised concerns about the misuse of artificial intelligence tools to alter or manipulate recordings of court proceedings.
The Chief Justice said he had experienced misreporting of his remarks, adding, “I have experienced this, not in video but in the print form. What I never said was thrust upon me.”
The court directed its order to be displayed on official websites for public information and said the issue of regulating digital dissemination of court proceedings required consideration.
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