Law & Justice
Supreme Court Urges Ministry to Curb Commercial Use of Live‑Streamed Court Proceedings
On Friday, October 30, 2026, the Supreme Court directed the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) to develop measures to prevent the commercial exploitation of live‑streamed judicial proceedings that violate earlier court orders. A bench led by Chief Justice Surya Kant recorded a submission from Solicitor General Tushar Mehta. Mr. Mehta noted that suggestions from various High Courts and other stakeholders had already been received and forwarded to the Ministry. He said the Ministry would review the suggestions and respond within a few days, and requested that the plea be listed for further consideration after the Deepavali vacation. He also highlighted breaches of earlier orders and urged the court to consider ordering the removal of material uploaded in violation of its restrictions.
The court had recently issued orders banning the unauthorised use and circulation of live‑streamed judicial proceedings on social media and digital platforms, stating that content intended for public good cannot be exploited commercially for personal gain. The court added that necessary measures to enforce compliance would be incorporated into the policy regime.
Advocate Prashant Bhushan suggested that every official clip released by the court carry a verifiable digital signature or watermark, enabling the public and digital platforms to distinguish genuine footage from manipulated versions. He further proposed that all court proceedings be made available on the Supreme Court’s website in an authenticated and watermarked format.
The court is examining the issue amid concerns over the unauthorised extraction, modification, circulation, and commercial use of video clips of judicial proceedings, often accompanied by misleading captions or representations.