Ensuring right to freedom of speech and expression on cyber space as against state intervention - Indian experience

AutorNagarathna Annappa
CargoNagarathna Annappa , National Law School of India University, Bengaluru, Dr. Nagarathna Annappa, is a Gold Medalist, BA.LL.B. (1999) securing 5 gold mediadls, Bangalore University. Having completed her Ph. D., in Medical Negligence Laws she is currently pursuing her Post Doctorate study on 'Cyber Crime Investigation and Prosecution' from NLSIU,...
Páginas119-134
Revista de Direitos Fundamentais & Democracia, Curitiba, v. 26, n. 1, p. 119-134, j an./abr. 2021.
DOI: 10.25192/issn.1982-0496.rdfd.v26i12123
ISSN 1982-0496
Licenciado sob uma Licença Creative Commons
ENSURING RIGHT TO FREEDOM OF SPEECH AND EXPRESSION ON CYBER
SPACE AS AGAINST STATE INTERVENTION - INDIAN EXPERIENCE
ASSEGURANDO O DIREITO À LIBERDADE DE MANIFESTAÇÃO E EXPRESSÃO
NO ESPAÇO CIBERNÉTICO E TAMBÉM EM FACE DA INTERVENÇÃO ESTATAL
– A EXPERIÊNCIA INDIANA
Nagarathna Annappa
Associate Professor of Law & Chief Coordinator, Advanced Centre on Research,
Development & Training in Cyber Laws & Forensics, National Law School of India
University, Bengaluru, India.
Resumo
Embora a Internet tenha sido extremamente vantajosa para conectar
pessoas e fornecer uma plataforma para a expressão de seus
pontos de vista e opiniões, por outro lado, às vezes, leva ao abuso
desta plataforma por parte de algumas regulamentações legais
necessárias. A liberdade de manifestação e expressão, sendo um
direito fundamental, é juridicamente exigível em face do Estado e
suas agências, mas a mesma pode ser legalmente restringida sob
certos “motivos razoáveis”. Este artigo tem como objetivo analisar o
arcabouço jurídico existente a esse respeito, com o objetivo de
identificar as disposições legais que, por um lado, protegem a
liberdade de manifestação e expressão no ciberespo e, por outro,
restringem essa liberdade. Embora o artigo faça uma breve
avaliação do aspecto jurídico em questão, do ponto de vista
internacional, ele se concentra amplamente na estrutura do direito
indiano a esse respeito.
Palavras-chave: Liberdade de Manifestação e Expressão,
Ciberespaço, Restrições Razoáveis, Internet.
Abstract
While Internet has been extremely advantageous in connecting
people and providing a platform for expression of one’s views and
opinions, on the other hand it has even at times lead to abuse of this
platform by some necessitating legal regulation. Freedom of speech
and expression being a fundamental right is legally enforceable even
against the State and its agencies but the same can be legally
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Revista de Direitos Fundamentais & Democracia, Curitiba, v. 26, n. 1, p. 119-134, j an./abr. 2021.
restricted under certain ‘reasonable grounds’. This paper aims to
analyse the existing law framework in this regard, with the object of
identifying legal provisions which on one hand protects freedom of
speech and expression on cyber space and on the other hand, the
legal restrictions imposed for such freedom. Though the paper
makes a brief assessment of the concerned legal aspect from
international perspective in brief, it focuses largely on Indian law
framework in this regard.
Key words: Freedom of Speech & Expression, Cyber Space,
Reasonable Restrictions, Internet.
1. INTRODUCTION
Right to freedom of speech and expression is the one of the most cherished
right of an individual. International and national legal instruments recognise it as a
human right. In India, like in many other democratic countries, right to freedom of
speech and expression is guaranteed as a fundamental right to its citizens.
With the advent of cyber technology, a parallel platform for communication
also began thereby connecting people not just for electronic commercial and
governance related transactions but also for communicating with each other. Today’s
most of the personal as well as official communication happens through the usage of
Internet technology.
Internet technology comes with its own unique characteristic features hence
usage of it for communication purpose require a review from legal perspective, at
time through a regulatory mechanism. However such regulation should not lead to
unfair and unjust interference with the freedom of speech and expression on cyber
space. At the same time, illegal content should also not be allowed to be hosted on
internet in the name of free speech. Hence State’s intervention into the right is legally
provided as well as recognised in form of provisions form Indian Cyber laws and
criminal laws and judicial precedents.
On this specific aspect, few researchers in India have explored the
dimension of the internet and freedom of speech. A comparative analysis of the
constitutional issues of freedom of speech in the USA and India highlighting the
obscenity laws were made in which an analysis was made to check if certain legal
tests could be applied to determine freedom of expression on internet (Damania,

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