The Press Club of India has raised concerns about the Uttar Pradesh government’s proposed new digital media policy aimed at regulating “anti-national, indecent, or hurtful” content on social media.
“Section 7(2) of the said policy states that legal action by director information of the UP government will be initiated against content creators if any content is deemed to be ‘anti-national’, ‘anti-social’, ‘paints the government in bad light’ or is ‘created with malafide intent’,” the press club said in a statement.
Press Club of India’s statement on UP Government’s Digital Media Policy 2024
— Press Club of India (@PCITweets) August 30, 2024
The government should not encroach upon the space that the Constitution allows journalism.
We demand that the @UPGovt withdraws clause 7(2) from its Digital Media Policy 2024 with immediate effect. pic.twitter.com/EjHTJ8bvU5
“The wide and ambiguous ambit of this clause makes it draconian. It infringes on the right to freedom of speech and expression under Article 19(1)(a) of the Constitution that encompasses the practice of journalism, which often involves highlighting the failures of the government pertaining to public affairs or in matters of public interest.”
The press club said that the Supreme Court, while invalidating Section 66A of the Information Technology Act, had held that the section left many terms open-ended and undefined, therefore making the statute void for vagueness. “It is the same vagueness and arbitrary nature of Section 7(2) of the said policy that makes it unconstitutional.”
“A free and independent media informs and educates citizens, holds elected representatives and the executive accountable, which is the cornerstone of democracy. The government should not encroach upon the space that the Constitution allows journalism. We demand that the UP government withdraws clause 7(2) from its Digital Media Policy 2024 with immediate effect.”
The statement was also attested by Parul Sharma, president of the Indian Women’s Press Corps, CK Nayak, president of the Press Association, Abhinandan Sekhri from DIGIPUB, and the Software Freedom Law Centre.
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