March 10, 2026 : The Supreme Court of India has agreed to examine the Centre’s petition challenging the Bombay High Court verdict that struck down the 2023 amendments to the Information Technology Rules related to fake and misleading content on social media.
A three-judge bench headed by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant issued notices to the original petitioners, including stand-up comedian Kunal Kamra, the Editors Guild of India, and the Association of Indian Magazines.
However, the apex court refused to stay the 2024 Bombay High Court judgment which had declared the amended rules unconstitutional. The Chief Justice observed that it would be preferable to finally settle the issue after a full hearing.
Appearing for the Centre, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta told the court that the government’s objective was not to block online content but to regulate the spread of misinformation.
The amendments, introduced in April 2023 under the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021, proposed the creation of a Fact Check Unit to identify fake or misleading content related to government activities.
The Supreme Court said the matter will be taken up for detailed hearing in due course.
