Central curbs on e-platforms lack teeth: SC

NEW DELHI: The Centre’s guidelines on regulating social media do not have any provision for taking appropriate action against digital platforms showing inappropriate content, the Supreme Court said on Friday.

It also granted protection from arrest to Amazon Prime Video’s India head Aparna Purohit in FIRs lodged over web series Tandav.

A bench comprising justices Ashok Bhushan and R S Reddy also issued notice to the Uttar Pradesh government on Purohit’s plea for an anticipatory bail in FIRs on the Tandav series.

The apex court observed that the Centre’s regulations on social media are mere guidelines and do not have provision for any action against digital platforms.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Centre, said the government will consider appropriate steps and any regulation or legislation on it will be placed before the court.

The apex court also directed Purohit to make the Centre a party to her plea.

Tandav is a nine-episode political thriller starring Bollywood A-listers Saif Ali Khan, Dimple Kapadia and Mohd Zeeshan Ayyub.

Purohit has been accused of inappropriate depiction of Uttar Pradesh police personnel, Hindu deities and an adverse portrayal of a character playing the prime minister in the web series.

The top court had on Thursday observed that some over-the-top (OTT) platforms at times show pornographic contents and there should be a mechanism to screen such programmes.

It had asked the Centre to place its guidelines on regulating social media.

Mehta had said he would be placing on records the Information Technology (Guidelines for intermediaries and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021.

Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for Purohit, had on Thursday termed the FIRs against her as shocking saying that this woman is an employee of Amazon and she is neither a producer nor an actor but still she has been made an accused in around 10 cases relating to the web series across the country.

Earlier, the apex court, on January 27, had declined to grant interim protection from any coercive action to Ali Abbas Zafar, Director of the web series, Purohit, producer Himanshu Mehra, the show’s writer Gaurav Solanki and actor Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub.

It had said that they may seek bail from courts concerned in the FIRs lodged in connection with the web series.

Now, Purohit has appealed to the top court against the Allahabad High Court’s February 25 order declining anticipatory bail to her.