J&K to Regulate Online Media with New Policy 2026, Sakina Itoo Tells Assembly
By Wajahat Shabir
Srinagar, Sep 30: The Jammu and Kashmir government will soon bring the New Media Policy 2026, a framework that will for the first time provide for registration and regulation of online news media platforms alongside traditional print media, Information Minister Sakina Itoo informed the Legislative Assembly on Wednesday. Replying to a discussion on the subject, Itoo said the policy was being prepared as part of the government’s firm commitment to address growing concerns surrounding misinformation, fake news, fabricated content, and the functioning of unregulated social media news platforms that have proliferated in recent years. She said the proposed policy would contain specific provisions for the registration and regulation of online news media platforms to ensure their accountability in a rapidly changing digital news ecosystem. The minister further stated that, in accordance with the directions issued during the July 13, 2026 meeting of the House Committee on Government Assurances, headed by MLA Ali Mohammad Sagar, the Information Department would also frame comprehensive guidelines and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for dealing with unregistered social media news channels operating across the Union Territory. These guidelines, she said, would mandate district administrations to maintain detailed lists of unregistered social media news channels functioning in their respective districts, thereby enabling local authorities to monitor their activities more effectively.
Itoo told the House that any person found spreading false, misleading or fabricated information through social media platforms could face legal action under the relevant provisions of the Information Technology Act, 2000, the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023, and the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), 2023. “These new laws contain provisions to penalize and manage the spread of misinformation, fake news and proactive content on social media platforms,” she said. The Minister also informed members that the Jammu and Kashmir Home Department has established the Jammu and Kashmir Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (JK-4C) as an independent organisation under the overall superintendence and control of the Director General of Police, J&K. The JK-4C, she said, has been set up for coordinating, preventing, detecting and investigating cyber crimes in the Union Territory, adding that the centre would play an important role in supporting the proposed regulatory framework by acting as a centralised agency for dealing with digital offences and online misconduct. The policy, once finalised, is expected to provide a clear legal pathway for action against both individuals and digital platforms that engage in the dissemination of harmful or false content, while also distinguishing between legitimate journalistic activity and malicious or unverified online reporting.
Responding to questions and concerns raised by members from across the political spectrum, Itoo acknowledged that the issue had already been discussed during the previous budget session in Jammu, when the Speaker had allowed a half-hour discussion on the subject and the government had responded. She said the House Committee on Government Assurances met on July 13 and gave the Information Department four months to draft a comprehensive media policy with structured guidelines, and that the department was actively working within that stipulated timeline. The Minister admitted that the concerns raised by members were legitimate, particularly because legislators and ministers are public figures and frequently become targets of social media content, sometimes facing serious damage to their reputations within hours. However, she also offered a rare and important note of introspection, saying that the issue required self-examination by elected representatives themselves. Itoo said that members sometimes encourage individuals to record video snippets inside the House with the intention of gaining political mileage outside, and that such actions contribute to the very culture of unregulated recording and selective dissemination that legislators now complain about. In a pointed observation, she said that, without naming the member concerned, an elected representative had allegedly created a social media page in the name of his wife’s domestic helper, with the content on that page including foul abuses, slander against ministers and vicious personal character assassination. “If members themselves operate behind proxy handles to malign others, how can we solely fault external media?” she asked, suggesting that the problem of fake news and online defamation is not confined to unauthorised portals alone.
Recalling her own experience in the Assembly, Itoo said that when she first entered the House in 1996, Doordarshan was the only broadcaster covering Assembly proceedings, and people at that time wanted greater and fair coverage of the proceedings. The media environment has now changed dramatically, she said, with the proliferation of Facebook portals, smartphone pages, YouTube channels and other digital platforms that operate without any editorial oversight or accountability. An individual’s honour could be damaged within minutes through social media, she said, pointing to the role of political party handles and their potential to become involved in character assassination. At the same time, she drew a distinction between credible registered journalists and what she described as the mushrooming of unregulated Facebook portals, which often disguise opinion and slander as news. The Minister said the government recognised the importance of the media and that media is indispensable, whether print or electronic, while acknowledging that gaps and malpractices exist in the profession. She stressed that the proposed policy should not be seen as an attempt to gag the press or suppress legitimate dissent, but rather as a necessary measure to clean up an increasingly chaotic digital information space. The challenge, she said, was to find a balance between maintaining high standards of journalism and ensuring that the digital media landscape does not become a platform for malicious content and character assassination. She also said that the Information Department had a media monitoring mechanism in place for tracking misinformation and had issued rebuttals to fake or misleading content, while the draft New Media Policy 2026 was already under inter-departmental consultation.
As one possible measure to prevent unauthorised recording and circulation of Assembly proceedings, Itoo suggested that mobile phones belonging to MLAs, people present in the galleries and persons in the press enclosures could be deposited outside the House chamber before the proceedings begin, and returned after the session concludes. She said such a measure could help address concerns over unauthorised filming and circulation of material from inside the Assembly, a recurring issue that has troubled legislatures across the country. The Minister assured the House that the policy being prepared by the Information Department would include strict checks, rules and regulations, and that anyone found violating the proposed rules would face stringent legal action. “Slander must stop,” she said, reiterating that the government was firmly committed to putting a regulatory framework in place. At the same time, she made it clear that the government was not targeting the media as an institution and that the framework would be designed in a manner that protects the freedom of the press while ensuring accountability for those who abuse social media platforms. The Minister’s suggestion regarding mobile phones was received with mixed reactions, with some members expressing support for the idea as a practical solution to unauthorised recordings, while others questioned how the rule would be implemented and whether it would inconvenience working journalists covering the Assembly. Nevertheless, Itoo said the government was open to suggestions and would consider all practical aspects before finalising any decision.
The discussion came amid repeated calls from several members, including Bashir Ahmad Shah Veeri, Tanvir Sadiq, Waheed-ur-Rehman Parra, Saif-ud-Din Bhat, Nazir Ahmad Khan Gurezi, Sunil Kumar Sharma and Ranbir Singh Pathania, for greater regulation of unregistered social media platforms and action against misinformation. These members highlighted the damage caused by fake news, deepfakes, unauthorised recordings and malicious content circulated online, and demanded that the government take immediate steps to protect public figures and ordinary citizens alike. Other members, including Nizam-ud-Din Bhat and Hasnain Masoodi, cautioned that regulation should not undermine press freedom and pointed to existing legal provisions dealing with defamation and slander as sufficient safeguards. The debate ultimately centred on finding a framework that addresses fake news, misinformation, deepfakes, unauthorised recordings and character assassination while maintaining legitimate press freedom. The J&K Assembly’s official NeVA portal confirms that the House is holding its sixth session from September 21 to September 30, 2026, and the issue of media regulation has been one of the most debated subjects during this session. Earlier in 2026, Itoo had also informed the Assembly that the Department of Information and Public Relations had a media monitoring mechanism for tracking misinformation and had issued rebuttals to fake or misleading content, while stating that the draft New Media Policy 2026 was under inter-departmental consultation. With the government now committed to finalising the policy within the four-month timeline set by the House Committee, all eyes will be on the shape and content of the final framework, and on how it balances the competing concerns of regulation, accountability, freedom of expression and the need to curb the growing menace of online misinformation.
