News associations, digital rights groups demand withdrawal of laws ‘aimed at curbing’ press freedom
They expressed apprehensions about control and regulation, and ‘unreasonable restrictions’ through these laws on the citizens’ right to know.
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News associations and digital rights organisations in India on May 28 passed a resolution urging the Union government to withdraw new laws that are “aimed at curbing” press freedom, the Press Council of India said in a statement on Friday.
The laws named in the resolution are the Broadcast Services Regulation Bill, the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, the Press and Registration of Periodicals Act and the Information Technology Amendment Rules.
The Press Club of India, the Indian Journalist Union, the Delhi Union of Journalists, the DIGIPUB News Foundation, the Internet Freedom Foundation, Working News Cameramen’s Association, Indian Women’s Press Corps, Cogito Media Foundation, and the press clubs of Mumbai, Kolkata, Thiruvananthapuram and Chandigarh participated in the meeting on May 28, where the resolution was passed.
The Broadcast Services Regulation Bill “expands regulatory oversight to include OTT [over-the-top] platform and digital content”, the resolution said.
“It will replace [the] Cable TV Networks (Regulation) Act, 1995,” the resolution added. “It proposes mandatory registration, content evaluation committees for self-regulation and a three-tier regulatory system.”
The news associations and digital rights organisations expressed apprehensions about control and regulation, and “unreasonable restrictions” through these laws on the citizens’ right to know.
The Digital Personal Data Protection Act “curtails the crucial section” of the Right to Information, which has served as a “vital tool for journalists...
