WHAT THE CENTER HAS SAID IN ITS NEW AFFIDAVIT
In the new affidavit filed on Monday, September 21, the Center has relied on this argument. They point out that, when it comes to television stations and print media, several eligibility criteria and requirements have to be met. This includes a rigorous registration process and, when it comes to television news, a performance guarantee and minimum net worth requirements.
The Center states that “web-based digital media”, including digital web portals, web magazines, and channels on video platforms such as YouTube, are in the hundreds of billions. They say there are no eligibility criteria or qualifications for this under the law, and no registration is required for these. National security considerations are also addressed through the authorization requirement of the Ministry of the Interior for television channels and other legal authorities in the case of print media.
The Center goes on to assert that, by the nature of their makeup, “print and electronic media would rarely cross the line that these Hon’ble Courts may need to intervene frequently.” Access to print media is limited to those who have access to a particular newspaper or magazine, while electronic media is also limited to those who have access to a television and a subscription.
Web-based digital media, on the other hand, they argue, can be started by any individual and accessed “by anyone regardless of their literacy level or having a television or cable / DTH operator services.” All one needs is a smartphone: “This shows its potential spread and its potential to damage the very fabric of any nation.”
In contrasting possible restrictions on electronic and print media, the Center says that the spread of “poisonous hate” in digital media is “rampant”:
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