Supreme Court Ruling on Free Speech and Social Media Regulation

The Supreme Court delivered a landmark judgment on social media regulation, establishing clear boundaries between free speech and content moderation.

The court ruled that government takedown requests must meet a strict proportionality test and cannot be used to suppress legitimate political criticism.

Platforms must provide users with clear reasons for content removal and an appeal mechanism within 72 hours.

Digital rights activists hailed the ruling as a victory for online expression. The government said it will study the judgment before responding.

The ruling will immediately affect ongoing cases against major platforms operating in India.