SC to hear plea against 4PM YouTube ban Tuesday

New Delhi

The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear on Tuesday a petition filed by journalist Sanjay Sharma, challenging the government’s directive to block the YouTube channel 4PM News Network. The blockage was issued on the grounds of national security and public order. A bench of Justices BR Gavai and AG Masih will continue hearing the case on May 13. On Monday, the bench issued a notice, seeking responses from the Union government, including the Ministry of Home Affairs, and YouTube.

During the last hearing, when senior advocate Kapil Sibal requested interim relief for the petitioner, the Supreme Court indicated it was not inclined to issue any interim order without hearing from the other side.

In his petition, Sharma, the editor of the news platform, argued that the failure to provide a blocking order or the underlying complaint violates both statutory and constitutional safeguards. The petition also claims that certain rules of the Information Technology Act, which allow content to be blocked without notice or hearing, breach constitutional rights under Articles 14, 19(1)(a), and 21, depriving individuals of natural justice. The plea further asserts that national security and public order cannot be used arbitrarily to block content without proper scrutiny.

The Editors Guild of India expressed concern, criticizing the government’s opaque action and calling for a transparent process for content removal, particularly when it involves journalistic work.