New IT Rules will have chilling effect on editors, authors, petitioners tell Bombay HC

The Bombay high court (HC) on Monday was informed that the recently notified Information Technology Rules 2021 under the Information Technology (IT) Act were against free speech and promoted draconian censorship and delegated powers to the authorities that were more than what was intended. Senior journalist Nikhil Wagle and legal news portal Leaflet who have filed challenged the Rules submitted that they will have a terrible chilling effect on the free speech of authors/editors, people at large and hence should be set aside.

The division bench of chief justice Dipankar Datta and justice Girish Kulkarni while hearing the two petitions which termed the Rules as arbitrary,