Supreme Court restricts judicial proceedings recording on social media

On 24 July 2026, the Supreme Court of India passed an order in Writ Petition No. 751/2026 (Harshita Grover v. Union of India & Ors.) directing an interim ban on extraction, dissemination, monetisation, posting, uploading, or hosting of audio-video recordings of judicial proceedings on social media or digital platforms without prior permission from the Supreme Court Secretary General or High Court Registrar Generals. The court issued notices to the Union of India, Bar Council of India, all 25 High Courts, and major social media platforms including LinkedIn, Meta, Instagram, WhatsApp, Google, X Corp, and YouTube. This order establishes new compliance obligations for digital platforms operating in India regarding judicial content. Platforms must now implement systems to prevent unauthorised recording and dissemination of courtroom proceedings. Businesses operating social media, video hosting, and digital communication services must update their content moderation and takedown policies accordingly.