An unchecked digital media is capable of spreading “venomous hatred,” terror and violence, the Centre told the Supreme Court on Monday.
It can tarnish reputations of institutions and individuals. In fact, the digital media has already done all of this, the government told the court. The court should first train its attention on digital media, it said.
‘Wide reach’
“It is the need of the hour that the court start first with ‘web-based digital media’ which includes ‘web magazines’ and ‘web-based news channels’ and ‘web-based newspapers’. They not only have a very wide reach but are completely uncontrolled,” the government’s 89-page affidavit said.
A three-judge Bench led by Justice D.Y. Chandrachud had asked the government for suggestions to improve the self-regulatory mechanism for electronic media. The government replied, asking the court to instead focus…