Bombay High Court: A case was filed challenging Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Amendment Rules, 2023 i.e., Rule 3 that empowered the government to establish Fact-Check Units (FCUs) to identify false news against the government on grounds that it violated constitutional rights and amounted to state censorship. A. S. Chandurkar, J., held that the amendments were unconstitutional as they infringed on Articles 14 and 19 of the Constitution, striking down the contested provisions.
The case relates to IT Rules Amendment, 2023, when it allowed the government to set up Fact-Check Units (FCUs) to tackle misinformation against it, sparking fears of censorship and a chilling effect on free speech.
Source: Press
