Under Which Law News Portals Are Required To Be Registered/Licensed: Jammu & Kashmir And Ladakh High Court Seeks Govt. Response

The Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh High Court has sought the pointed reply of the Jammu & Kashmir Government on the provisions of law under which, the news portals, if at all are required to be registered or licensed 

The Bench of Chief Justice Pankaj Mithal and Justice Sanjay Dhar was hearing the plea filed by NGO, Jammu and Kashmir Peoples Forum highlighting the mushrooming growth of news agencies on social media especially the news portals which are allegedly involved in circulating fake news.

It was alleged in the plea that in the Union Territory, several news portals like Kashmir News, Kashmir Voice, Kashmir Breaking News, News Kashmir 24/7, Kashmir Business Hub and Bol Kashmir etc are operating freely without any registration or license from any authority and these news portals are not under supervision and control of any authority whatsoever.

In the light of the aforesaid averments, the Court noted in its order thus:

"...we call upon the respondents to file response specifically pointing out to provisions of law under such news portals if at all are required to be registered or licensed and if so whether the above news portals are running with due permission in accordance with law and whether any agency is examining the contents of the news circulated by these news portals."

The matter has been posted for further hearing on September 1.

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