Supreme Court Urges Regulatory Framework for Social Media Content

The Supreme Court has instructed the Indian government to devise a system to regulate social media content, emphasizing the need to protect freedom of speech while ensuring decency. The court suggests stakeholder involvement and public discourse to establish an effective, non-censorious regulatory framework.

On Monday, the Supreme Court directed the Indian government to create a regulatory mechanism for social media content, cautioning against censorship. The court emphasized that the regulation should uphold freedom of speech and expression as enshrined in Article 19(4) of the Constitution.

A bench, comprising Justices Surya Kant and N Kotiswar Singh, proposed engaging various stakeholders and placing draft proposals in the public domain. The intention is to seek inputs and ensure the mechanism respects individual rights while maintaining societal decency standards.

The Court highlighted the importance of distinguishing between vulgarity and humor, stressing that freedom of expression should not be misused to propagate indecency. The involvement of media and other stakeholders aims to foster a dialogue on appropriate regulatory measures.