The government has addressed that digital media content is “public communication” that can be rapidly shared with tons of people, is more permanent in nature compared to TV news, with an ability to spread disinformation that can pose a threat to democratic rights, defending in court new rules that expanded its ability to regulate the domain. And due to “transcontinental nature of digital news”, the particular media can be used as a tool for information campaigns by state and non-state actors to influence opinion the affidavit said.
The government made the stand in an affidavit filed in the Delhi high court on Monday, opposing a bunch of pleas by a number of digital media platforms challenging the Information Technology Rules 2021.
The petitioners have called the new rules unconstitutional and said they amount to an overreach by the executive, Government added digital media has a wider reach than traditional media as it can be accessed “both by the literate and illiterate”.
