The Madras High Court on Wednesday issued a notice to the Union of India while admitting another petition against the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules 2021. This writ petition challenges the constitutionality of the Rules and alleges that it violates the Fundamental Right of Equality Before Law (Article 14), freedom of speech and expression (Article 19(1)(a), and the right to practice any profession or to carry on any occupation, trade or business (Article 19 (1) (g)). The petition filed by Digital News Publishers Association and journalist Mukund Padmanabhan has been tagged along with the petition filed by Carnatic singer TM Krishna. Krishna's petition claimed that the IT Rules 2021 were in violation of the Right to Privacy, artistic speech, and ultra vires to the IT Act (2000). In the order available on the Madras High Court website on Wednesday, Chief Justice Sanjib Banerjee and Justice Senthilkumar Ramamoorthy said, "Issue notice to the respondents (Union of India). A copy of the petition should be forwarded to the office of the learned Additional Solicitor General. The respondents should file their counter-affidavits within a fortnight from the data. The matter will appear three weeks hence." The Digital News Publishers Association comprises: Jagran New Media DB Corp Express Network Pvt Ltd IE Online Media Services Ltd Lokmat Media Private Ltd NDTV Convergence Ltd ABP Network Private Ltd Times Internet and a few others The DNPA sought a stay on Rules 12, 14, and 16 of the IT Rules 2021.…
