The Delhi High Court has cautioned social media users to exercise “great caution” while posting content online, especially when the uploader has a large audience and exercises influence in society.
The Court said that the freedom of speech and expression granted by the Constitution under Article 19 must be exercised within the bounds of the reasonable restrictions it places, and when the speech crosses the line into insult, humiliation or incitement, it collides with the right to dignity.
“Before parting, just a word of caution for those using social media. The Internet has made knowledge easily accessible by intensifying its circulation. With this, however, it has also brought a large audience of every age group,” Justice Ravinder Dudeja said.
“Thus, any content on the Internet is porous and accessible to a large audience. Every content on the Internet must be uploaded with great caution, especially when the uploader has a large audience and exercises influence in the society,” the judge added.
The Court’s observations came while granting bail to actor Ajaz Khan, who is accused of making sexually explicit remarks on social media against the mother and sister of YouTuber Harsh Beniwal.
