Frame measures to curb unauthorised circulation of court videos: SC to MeitY

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday directed the Union Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) to incorporate enforcement measures in the policy being formulated to prevent unauthorised circulation and commercial exploitation of audio-video recordings of live-streamed court proceedings.

A bench comprising CJI Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana said the policy must provide for necessary measures to take action against those who violate the court's interim directions restricting unauthorised use of recordings of judicial proceedings. The court was hearing a PIL that raised concerns over unauthorised extraction, editing, dissemination and monetisation of videos of court proceedings on social media and digital platforms. The bench noted that MeitY was reviewing suggestions from high courts and interim orders of the top court as it is considering formulating a policy on this matter.

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Solicitor General Tushar Mehta informed the bench that suggestions received from various high courts and lawyers had been provided to the registry. He said a proposal would be formulated for the court's consideration within a week. During the hearing, advocate Prashant Bhushan suggested that official recordings of court proceedings be hosted on court websites and authenticated through digital watermarking and cryptographic signatures to distinguish authentic court footage from manipulated or unauthorised versions.

Speaking for the bench, CJI Kant said the SC was separately considering the issue on the administrative side. Justice Bagchi pointed out that technical restrictions preventing extraction of videos from official YouTube channels could be circumvented by creating duplicate recordings. He said the difficulty lay in implementation, for which the assistance of MeitY and the authorities concerned under the intermediary rules was required.