The Supreme Court on Friday stopped extracting, editing, publishing, republishing, uploading and monetizing audio and video recordings of judicial proceedings on social media and other digital platforms without prior permission from the relevant court registrars.
A bench comprising Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justices Joymalia Bagchi and V Mohana passed the interim order while issuing notice on a public interest litigation seeking safeguards against misuse of live-streamed court proceedings through selective clipping, sensationalism and commercial exploitation.
“As an interim measure, a directive has been issued that audio and video recordings of judicial proceedings may not be extracted, modified, monetised, published, republished or uploaded on social media or other platforms without the permission of the Secretary General of the Supreme Court or the Registrar General of the High Judicial Courts.”
The court clarified that the ban would not apply to news reports of court proceedings, and ordered the Supreme Court and all high courts to display the matter on their websites.
The order came on the heels of a plea by journalist Harshita Grover for guidelines to organize cutting, editing and monetization of courtroom recordings. The petition argues that while live streaming promotes transparency, the absence of safeguards has enabled courtroom exchanges to be taken out of context and popularized for sensationalism and commercial gain.
Senior advocate Vikas Singh, appearing for the petitioner, said the challenge is not the live broadcast itself, but the misuse of edited clips on social media. Referring to the recent disturbance before the bench of Justice KV Viswanathan, where papers were allegedly thrown and abusive language was used, Singh asserted that cropped videos of such incidents are being widely circulated, downplaying the importance of judicial proceedings.
The court agreed that regulating digital content has become “one of the biggest challenges” in the current era, adding that virtual listening links are often shared indiscriminately.
In support of this petition, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta warned that artificial intelligence has increased the risk of video manipulation in the courtroom.
“There are AI tools. With the same movement of the lips, my words and the Lords’ words can be changed with our voices,” Mehta said, warning that edited clips were increasingly being used to create misleading narratives.
The CJI also expressed concern over distorted reports, noting that statements were recently attributed to him and he never made them.
Besides issuing notice to all the high courts, the bench asked the Union government to identify the line ministries that would implement any future regulatory framework. It also requested reports from the High Courts on the implementation of the Supreme Court’s live streaming guidelines and the impact of ongoing live streaming.
The petition states that it does not seek to limit open justice or fair reporting, but merely seeks to provide safeguards against the unauthorized cropping, mutilation, and commercial exploitation of judicial recordings.
