Will Incorporate Necessary Rules & Regulations To Check Vulgar Content On Social Media & OTT Platforms: Centre Informs Delhi HC

A Bench of Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma recognized that the MeitY was treating this matter as a policy decision. Given this context, and understanding that the incorporation of court concerns into policy and regulations is an ongoing process, the Court deemed the Ministry's efforts as sufficient compliance with its order.

Advocate Naresh Kumar Chahar appeared for the Respondents.

A compliance report had been submitted on behalf of the Ministry of Electronics & Information MeitY in response to a court order dated April 12, 2023. This court order had required compliance with a previous judgment dated March 06, 2023 where the High Court had upheld an order of the Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (ACMM) asking the Delhi Police to register an FIR against TVF, the ‘College Romance’ show's director Simarpreet Singh, and actor Apoorva Arora under the Information Technology Act finding excessive use of swear words', profane language' and vulgar expletives’ in the show.

The compliance report from MeitY stated that they were actively considering the directives of the Court's judgment for the regulation of social media platforms and intermediaries. Specifically, the report mentioned addressing issues related to vulgar language, profanity, and offensive content. MeitY emphasized its commitment to maintaining a techno-legal ecosystem while adhering to the existing procedure.

The Ministry acknowledged the directions and observations made by the Honorable Court in its previous judgments. It specifically pointed to paragraphs 60, 76, 84, and 85 of the judgment, expressing its intention to incorporate these aspects into its policy-making process. The Ministry considered this incorporation of court concerns into its policy decisions as a way to regulate social media platforms and intermediaries.

“It is stated that it is a policy decision and having taken note of the concerns of this Court expressed through its directions, the concerned Ministry, while undertaking its regular exercise of policy making, will incorporate rules/regulations to regulate the social media platforms, intermediaries for making it safer from the use of vulgar language including profanity, bad words, etc., as per the judgment of this Court.”

The Court expressed satisfaction with the Ministry's assurance that the concerns outlined in its judgment will be integrated into future rules and regulations. Based on the Ministry's response and its commitment to address the concerns of the Court, the Court disposed of the matter.

Cause Title: X & Ors. v. State (Govt. of NCT of Delhi) & Anr.

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