Authorities in Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) are introducing a new media policy providing for registration and regulation of online news platforms to further shrink space for independent journalism and freedom of expression in the territory. The proposed framework goes beyond merely addressing misinformation, with the occupation regime saying that District Administrations would maintain detailed lists of unregistered social media news handles operating in their respective districts.

The authorities have also been asked to formulate comprehensive guidelines and standard operating procedures for dealing with such platforms. The regime further said cases could be filed under relevant provisions of the Information Technology Act, 2000, the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023 and the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), 2023, against those found disseminating false, misleading or fabricated information through social media platforms.

While the authorities are trying to justify the measures by citing so-called misleading information, the broad regulatory framework could place additional pressure on independent journalists and small digital news outlets, particularly in the politically disputed territory where reporting on human rights, political developments and public grievances is already subject to intense scrutiny by India. The authorities have simultaneously established the Cyber Crime Coordination Centre under the overall supervision and control of the Police to proceed cyber crimes in the name of accountability and combating misinformation against the media.

The proposed registration regime, district-level tracking of unregistered news handles and content monitoring raise serious questions about the future operating space for journalists and independent media platforms in IIOJK. In a region where access to information and the ability to report freely remain particularly sensitive issues, the proposed policy could further tighten official overersight of news and public discourse.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan (INP)