Now Reading: Social media users must get copy of takedown order: HC
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Social media users must get copy of takedown order: HC
The Story in Brief
The Punjab and Haryana High Court has held that a copy of any government intimation to a social media platform directing the blocking of a user's content or page must also be furnished to the affected user. Justice Tribhuvan Dahiya ruled on 5 October that the requirement is an essential obligation under the principles of natural justice and must be read into Rule 3(2) of the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021.
The court set aside a notice issued on 21 August by the Superintendent of Police, Yamuna Nagar, to Meta Platforms Inc. ordering the blocking of the Facebook page of Haryana 24 News Network Private Limited. Justice Dahiya held that the SP lacked the authority to issue such a direction, as the rules require an officer not below the rank of Deputy Inspector General of Police. The court described the action as 'sheer highhandedness and arbitrary exercise of power'.
The court directed the SP to instruct Meta to restore the page within 24 hours of receiving a certified copy of the order. If the authorities find any unlawful content on the page in the future, a fresh intimation must be issued by an authorised officer, and a copy must be provided to the user immediately.
Indian Opinion Analysis
All five outlets report the same core ruling neutrally, but The Print adds the most procedural detail, the 45-day delay, the monthly-review requirement, and the Supreme Court precedent, while Bar & Bench and Free Press Journal also reproduce the court's language at length. Hindustan Times and Times of India stay closer to the order's bottom line without the fuller chronology. The key difference is depth, not slant: every outlet frames the SP's action as unlawful and the court's natural-justice reading as a significant procedural safeguard. The uniform coverage suggests the ruling's legal clarity leaves little room for editorial divergence. The concrete next step is the 24-hour deadline for restoration of the page.
Note: All five sources are neutral-report in stance on this story.
Coverage: 5 sources, 5 neutral
Sources (5): hindustantimes.com (neutral report), barandbench.com (neutral report), freepressjournal.in (neutral report), timesofindia.indiatimes.com (neutral report), theprint.in (neutral report)
This brief was synthesised by AI from the 5 sources linked above, so one read covers every framing they carry. Methodology and corrections.
