E-Paper
Need to restrict social media, Centre tells SC
Absence of any regulatory mechanism in the cyber world demanded higher level of restrictions to put checks and balances on social networking sites, the Centre told the Supreme Court on Wednesday.
Absence of any regulatory mechanism in the cyber world demanded higher level of restrictions to put checks and balances on social networking sites, the Centre told the Supreme Court on Wednesday.
Additional solicitor general Tushar Mehta told a bench of justices J Chelameswar and Rohinton Fali Nariman that though it was not possible to regulate Internet, the legislature should be given leeway for framing rules in the absence of institutional control over the medium where an individual is a boss himself.
The statement came three weeks after the government told the SC that it was ready to review the controversial Section 66A of the Information Technology Act that activists alleged was often used by authorities to muzzle free speech on social media.
The government said a committee had been formed to draft a new law or framework, admitting a re-look at the provision was necessary.
However, it had defended the provision in its present form, saying it didn’t impinge on freedom of speech.
