Free Speech on Trial Social Media, Censorship, and the Indian IT Act

For the digital age, social media is believed to be the ultimate leveler of free speech. The Internet offered an unprecedented space for dissent, debate and discussion in India, a country where Article 19(1)(a) of the Constitution guarantees freedom of speech and expression. Today, however, the nature of Internet expression is much more complicated. Nation security, public order and morality are increasingly being invoked and used as common tools for targeted control in the name of the constitution. The Information Technology Act, 2000 (IT Act) is the core of this conflict, and in many cases, it is the instrument through which the state exercises control and, in many cases, oppresses expression in online content.