The Supreme Court has directed the Union government to frame draft guidelines to regulate social media conduct, in active consultation with the News Broadcasting Standards Authority (NBSA), The Hindu reported.

The directions came on Monday when a bench of Justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi was hearing petitions linked to derogatory comments against persons with disabilities in online comedy shows and podcasts. Petitioners, including the SMA Cure Foundation and Cure SMA India Foundation, argued that such content violated the right to dignity. The bench had also ordered five stand-up comedians, including Samay Raina to post public apologies on social media.

The Centre has reportedly been given time until November to place the draft before the bench.

The court on Monday acknowledged the wider implications for the digital ecosystem and underlined that the government must create a “comprehensive and forward-looking” framework for content moderation. 

“Such guidelines shall be drafted with consultation by NBSA. The suggestions and viewpoints of all stakeholders shall be taken. The guidelines shall not be a knee-jerk reaction to any incident, but shall be wide enough to cater to future challenges,” the court said.

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