Online Regulation Without Censorship |
The power of the online medium to allow anyone to become a publisher or broadcaster overnight has been causing considerable disquiet in some sections, leading to calls for strict regulation. The controversy over coarse comments made by a digital content creator, Ranveer Allahabadia, on a video show has snowballed into police FIRs, abuse and death threats, and demands for draconian retaliation. It is against this background that the Supreme Court has favoured a new control regime and emphasised the need for a neutral, independent, and autonomous body to regulate obscene, offensive, or illegal content on online platforms. Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, while hearing a batch of cases that cover offensive content, expressed surprise that anyone could start a........