Supreme Court directs MeitY to impose penalties for unauthorised court video circulation

The Supreme Court has directed MeitY to strengthen its policy framework on court video circulation by adding concrete penalty measures for unauthorised use, according to official communications reviewed by the court. The directive comes as the judiciary seeks to balance transparency in proceedings with protection against misuse of sensitive court materials.

The court's intervention signals growing concern over the uncontrolled spread of courtroom videos across digital platforms without proper safeguards or oversight. Officials are tasked with developing penalty structures that would deter unauthorised circulation while establishing clear consequences for those who exploit such content for commercial gain or other improper purposes.

MeitY has been asked to work on the policy revision while simultaneously considering robust safeguards to prevent misuse of court hearing recordings. The framework is expected to address gaps in existing regulations that currently lack sufficient deterrent measures against the unauthorised dissemination of judicial proceedings.

The development reflects the judiciary's broader effort to modernise court operations and increase accessibility to proceedings while maintaining dignity and security standards within the judicial system. The amended policy is likely to establish guidelines distinguishing between legitimate public access to court information and unauthorised commercial or malicious use of judicial hearing footage.