SC tells Centre to respond to plea by ‘4PM News’ challenging blocking of its YouTube channel

The Supreme Court on Monday asked the Union government to respond by next week to a petition challenging the blocking of the digital news outlet 4PM’s YouTube channel on the grounds of “national security”, Bar and Bench reported.

A bench of Justices BR Gavai and KV Viswanathan sought replies on the petition filed by Sanjay Sharma, the editor-in-chief of 4PM News, Live Law reported.

On April 29, the YouTube channel of 4PM News was blocked by the Union government. YouTube said that the channel was “unavailable in this country because of an order from the government related to national security or public order”. The channel had about 7.3 million subscribers.

Sharma claimed that the ban was an attempt to “crush a strong voice of democracy in the name of national security”. The channel had uploaded several videos criticising the Narendra Modi-led Union government after the Pahalgam terror attack, Newslaundry reported.

In his petition before the court, Sharma said that the channel was blocked following an undisclosed direction issued by the Union government on the grounds of “national security” and “public order”. The journalist added that he had not received any formal order on the blocking of the channel.

The petition noted that reasoned orders and a reasonable opportunity to be heard should be given before any blocking under Section 69A of the 2000 Information Technology Act.

“It settled...

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