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Supreme Court Bans Social Media Use of Court Livestreams
10 Oct
Summary
- Supreme Court prohibits unauthorized use of livestreamed proceedings on social media.
- Commercial exploitation of public good court proceedings is not permitted.
- Lawyers are prohibited from using court videos for personal promotional purposes.
The Supreme Court on Friday, October 9, 2026, maintained its stance against the unauthorized use and circulation of livestreamed judicial proceedings on social media and digital platforms. Chief Justice of India Surya Kant clarified that this prohibition does not amount to a gag on viewing or reporting, but firmly stated that court proceedings are not for commercial exploitation.
Justice Joymalya Bagchi noted that while live-streaming is common in countries like the UK and US, it is subject to strict guidelines against commercialization. He highlighted that lawyers uploading and promoting these videos for personal gain is adverse to the legal profession. The court has allowed parties time to submit suggestions for guidelines to prevent the monetization of these proceedings.
Earlier, on July 31, the Supreme Court had clarified that recognized news outlets could report on proceedings without utilizing audio-video clippings. This follows a July 24 interim direction that prohibited the extraction, dissemination, or monetization of recordings without prior permission from court authorities.
