Whose troll is it anyway: India’s internet laws need a fix

There’s a need to reevaluate India’s broken content and freedom of speech laws. Could making social networks like Facebook and Twitter answerable solve the problem?

We witnessed the chaos and trouble caused by Section 66-A of the IT Act before the SC struck it down

Now, we don't need media regulators trying to tame the press on social media

But we also don't need a new complicated law. Here's something for the government to ponder over

What's the best solution; should social networks have some say in the matter?

Is the government of India going to become a “troll monitor”?

When asked this question in the context of social media at a media summit on 17 March, Minister for Information and Broadcasting, Smriti Irani said:

“Instead of saying that you are a troll monitor, one can say that agencies that want to be a part of news, and factually want to give, let’s say, not only because news today is also very invested in views, it is not devoid of views – and that is a very fine line that certain journalists or media persons tend to cross.

AUTHOR

Alok Prasanna Kumar

Alok is an advocate currently based in Bengaluru. He has previously worked as lawyer in the Supreme Court, from the chambers of Mohan Parasaran. He has also been a Senior Resident Fellow at the Vidhi Centre for Legal Policy and assisted the Law Commission of India in preparing its 253rd Report.

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