On April 6, 2023, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) released the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Amendment Rules, 2023 (IT Amendment Rules, 2023), which included a provision allowing a "fact check unit of the Central Government" to deem any online content related to "any business of the Central Government" as false or misleading and require it to be removed from the internet. Political satirist and standup artist, Mr. Kunal Kamra, filed a writ petition in the Bombay High Court challenging the constitutionality of this provision, arguing that it violates the Information Technology Act, 2000 (IT Act, 2000), and infringes on the rights to freedom of speech and expression and the right to practice one's trade and profession. In response, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology has undertaken not to notify its Fact Check Unit until July 5, 2023.
This is a companion discussion topic for the original entry at https://internetfreedom.in/in-kunal-kamras-petition-in-the-bombay-high-court-the-government-undertakes-not-to-notify-its-fact-check-unit/