Supreme Court Takes Action Against Unauthorized Use of Live-Streamed Court Proceedings
Supreme Court's Directive on Live-Streamed Proceedings
New Delhi: On Friday, the Supreme Court instructed the Central Government to implement measures aimed at addressing violations of its interim restrictions concerning the unauthorized extraction, distribution, and commercial use of live-streamed court sessions within the upcoming policy framework.
A bench led by Chief Justice Surya Kant, along with Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana, acknowledged the Solicitor General Tushar Mehta's report that various high courts and stakeholders had submitted suggestions, which have been forwarded to the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) for the development of comprehensive guidelines.
The Solicitor General indicated that MeitY would review these suggestions and provide feedback shortly. He requested that the matter be scheduled for further discussion after the Diwali break.
He also highlighted previous violations of court orders and urged the bench to consider mandating the removal of content uploaded in violation of these restrictions.
In response, the bench stated, "Necessary measures for enforcing compliance with the directions will be included in the policy framework."
The bench referred to earlier interim orders, including the one from October 9, 2026, stressing the importance of ensuring adherence and effective implementation.
Advocate Prashant Bhushan proposed that every official video clip released by the court should feature a verifiable digital signature or watermark, allowing the public and digital platforms to differentiate authentic footage from altered versions.
He further recommended that all court proceedings be accessible on the Supreme Court's website in an authenticated and watermarked format.
The court is currently addressing concerns regarding the unauthorized extraction, alteration, distribution, and commercial use of video clips from judicial proceedings, which are often shared with misleading captions or representations.
On July 24, the bench had prohibited the extraction, distribution, monetization, posting, reposting, uploading, transmission, alteration, storage, or hosting of audio-visual recordings of judicial proceedings on social media or other digital platforms without prior consent from the Supreme Court's secretary general or the registrar generals of the relevant high courts.
These restrictions were clarified on September 18, confirming that they did not impose a blanket ban on recognized news outlets reporting on court proceedings.
News organizations were allowed to report on judicial matters and legal developments but were prohibited from using audio or video clips of the hearings in their reports.
On October 9, the bench reiterated that there was no intention to suppress reporting or restrict the live-streaming of court proceedings.
However, it expressed significant concern regarding the commercial exploitation of courtroom recordings through monetization, advertisements, personal promotion, and misleading representations.
The Chief Justice noted that the misuse of live-streamed proceedings for commercial purposes has caused substantial harm to the legal profession, the bench, and the institution as a whole.
Justice Bagchi also remarked that some attorneys were utilizing courtroom recordings for personal promotion and professional gain, raising concerns about the ethical standards of the legal profession.
The court is currently reviewing petitions aimed at preventing the unauthorized extraction and commercial exploitation of videos from judicial proceedings.