Currently, two popular youtube channels are also facing the ire of govt – National Dastak has also received notice from Youtube while Bolta Hindustan has been blocked and Article 19 India’s Facebook page has been restricted.

Chandigarh, 09 April 2024 | ANN

The Punjab & Haryana High Court has issued notice on Tuesday to Central Government, X Corporation, Google, Youtube and other authorities seeking response from them on plea challenging the alleged withholding of ‘X’ and ‘Youtube’ accounts of Trust and its journalist-Editor, allegedly for covering Farmers’ Protest. As per the plea, the accounts were blocked on Centre’s request citing national security and public order concerns.

The notice has been issued to Centre at the time when two other popular youtube channels are also facing the ire of govt – National Dastak has also received notice from Youtube while Bolta Hindustan has been blocked and Article 19 India’s Facebook page has been restricted.

The petition was filed on 16^th Feb 2024 by ‘Gaon Savera’ Trust, statedly running a news platform in the name of ‘Gaon Savera’ on various social media platforms and Journalist Mandeep Singh its managing Trustee seeking directions to ‘X’ and other authorities to quash the notice by which their social media accounts were blocked for disseminating information on ongoing Farmers’ Protest. Petitioner termed the blocking of petitioner’s social media account as violation fundamental right to freedom of expression guaranteed under the Constitution.

A notice was sent by X stating that the accounts have been withhold on “legal removal demand” from the Government of India claiming the content violates Information Technology Act, 2000 and for blocking the Youtube Channel similar order was received from the government related to “national security or public order”, the petition stated.

The petition stated that action was “illegal” as there was no compliance of section 69A of the IT Act and the power to issue blocking orders vested with the Designated Officer of Ministry of Electronics and IT is content-specific and the accounts or channels cannot be blocked.

“Absence of prior notice on objectionable content is mandatory by the respondent no. 2 to 4 ((X, Google, Meta Platforms) as per terms of use, failure to provide proper reasons in the Blocking Order itself is arbitrary; the impugned order even otherwise is not a speaking order; non communication of reasons renders the actions of respondents…void”, it added.

The matter is now listed for April 20.
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