Bengaluru high court bars use of its live-streamed proceedings on social media

Bengaluru: The high court on Tuesday passed an interim order restraining the use and uploading of videos of court proceedings live-streamed on its YouTube channel.
Justice Hemant Chandanagoudar also directed social media platforms such as Facebook, X Corp, and YouTube not to allow the uploading of such videos by private entities or individuals and to take down or delete those uploaded earlier.
The judge, however, pointed out that halting the live streaming of the court proceedings is not a solution to prevent misuse, as contended by the petitioner, i.e., the Advocates Association of Bengaluru. The judge was of the view that any violation can be brought to the notice of the court or judge concerned for necessary action.
The association had claimed that certain miscreants are editing live-streamed videos of the court proceedings in violation of the rules formulated under Karnataka Rules on Live Streaming and Recording of Court Proceedings-2021. Videos are also being circulated on several platforms like WhatsApp, Facebook, X, etc., after being saved on YouTube and Instagram. These videos are accessed by the public, who are misled into forming a wrong opinion of the court proceedings and judiciary after watching them partially without proper legal knowledge.
The viewers further pass comments degrading the advocates who have argued the matter defending their clients. The viewers also pass contemptuous comments against the judges who have executed their work in accordance with the law, the petitioner claimed, while seeking the court's intervention in the matter.