Asaduddin Owaisi on Tuesday strongly criticised the Centre’s proposed amendments to the Information Technology (IT) Rules, alleging that they could be used to silence independent journalists and weaken press freedom in India.
In a post on X, Owaisi said, “The draft IT rules are proof that the government is allergic to free press. If notified, these rules will allow the government to ban any independent journalist’s online content.”
He stressed the importance of independent journalism in the current media landscape. “Indians heavily rely on independent journalists for news that affects them—things that mainstream channels or publications do not necessarily cover,” he said.
“Without independent journalists, there’s no way of knowing if a ‘toolkit’ is being used to spread fake news or not,” he added.
Raises concerns over right to information and court rulings
Owaisi further argued that the proposed changes could undermine citizens’ right to information and bypass legal safeguards. He claimed the draft rules violate the landmark Shreya Singhal v. Union of India ruling of the Supreme Court, which had set limits on online censorship.
He also alleged that the amendments attempt to sidestep existing court orders that have stayed parts of the IT Rules.
What the draft amendments propose
The Union government on March 30 proposed changes to the IT Rules, 2021, aimed at strengthening compliance by social media intermediaries with government-issued advisories, guidelines and directions.
The draft mandates that platforms must follow instructions issued by the Ministry of Electronics and IT (MeitY), including clarifications, standard operating procedures and codes of practice, as part of their due diligence under Section 79 of the IT Act.
Failure to comply could lead to the loss of “safe harbour” protection, making platforms legally liable for user-generated content.
Another key change expands the scope of takedown and blocking orders to include not just publishers, but also individual users who share news and current affairs content online.
Digital rights group flags ‘over-censorship’ risk
The Internet Freedom Foundation (IFF) has also raised concerns about the proposed amendments, warning that they could significantly expand government control over online speech.
“Any failure to comply with MeitY-issued instruments, however vague or rapidly issued, may cost platforms their safe harbour. The likely response will be over-compliance and over-censorship,” the organisation said.
IFF also pointed to changes in Rule 14, which would expand the powers of an inter-departmental committee to examine not just complaints, but also matters referred directly by the government.
Public consultation open till April 14
The government has invited public feedback on the draft amendments until April 14, stating that the changes are aimed at ensuring “an open, safe, trusted and accountable Internet.”
However, critics like Owaisi argue that the proposed rules could have the opposite effect, raising concerns about censorship, accountability and the future of independent journalism in India.
