Editors Guild of India has raised "deep concern" over a court order and government notices directing removal of "unverified and defamatory" content about Adani Enterprises.
The Guild criticised both the court and the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting for effectively allowing a private corporation to decide what constitutes defamatory content, forcing platforms like YouTube and Instagram to comply within hours.
Several journalists and digital creators said they have been served notices from YouTube and the government to take down "unverified and ex facie defamatory" content about Adani Enterprises Limited (AEL), following a Delhi court order. The Editors Guild of India has described the development as "troubling."
In a statement, the Guild expressed "deep concern" over the court’s directive, which restrained nine journalists, activists and organisations from publishing or circulating "unverified, unsubstantiated and ex facie defamatory" reports on AEL, while also ordering the removal of such content within five days.
"More disturbingly, the order further empowers the corporate entity to keep forwarding URLs and links of any content it considers defamatory to intermediaries or government agencies, who are then obliged to remove such content within 36 hours," the Guild noted.
The Guild also termed "equally troubling" the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting’s move to issue takedown notices to platforms, including YouTube and Instagram, which were directed to remove more than 138 links and 83 posts, respectively.
"This extension of executive power has effectively given a private corporation powers to determine what constitutes defamatory content regarding their affairs, which extends the power to order content takedown," it said.
According to the Guild, granting such sweeping authority to a corporate entity, alongside ministerial enforcement of takedown directions, risks enabling censorship.
"A free and fearless press is indispensable to democracy. Any system that allows private interests to unilaterally silence critical or uncomfortable voices poses a serious risk to the public's right to know," the Guild added.
Satirist Akash Banerjee, who runs the YouTube channel Deshbhakt, said he and other independent creators were given only 36 hours to remove more than 200 pieces of content, without any chance to contest the order.
(with PTI inputs)
