With The Advent of Troll Armies, Disinformation Campaigns Across Social Media Platforms, There’s A Fear of Barrage of Speech That Distorts The Truth: CJI
(Judicial Quest News Network)
New Delhi, India, December 1. Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud Said on Friday that the protection of privacy and free speech, has gained currency at an unprecedented pace.
While addressing the 14th MV Tarkundey Memorial lecture on the topic “Upholding Civil Liberties in the Digital Age: Privacy, Surveillance and Free Speech” CJI said as we delve into the complexities of privacy concerns, it’s essential to recognize that the digital era is a realm where information is both currency and vulnerability.
In this context he highlighted the same technology that facilitates seamless transactions and connects us across distances also opens avenues for potential exploitation. It beckons us to reflect on how we can harness the benefits of a digitized society while safeguarding the very essence of what makes us individuals – our autonomy, personal narratives, and the right to control the narrative of our lives.
CJI said that in this ever-evolving digital era, the preservation of civil liberties has transcended the confines of mere legalities; it has emerged as the very essence of our democratic ethos. This crucial juncture demands a delicate equilibrium between privacy, surveillance, and free speech, especially in the vibrant tapestry of India, where the implications hold profound significance.
However, there is a flip side to adopting privately owned platforms as the medium for dissent, activism, and expression of free speech. With corporations wielding such immense power, there is an immense amount of trust placed on them to act as the arbiters of acceptable and unacceptable speech – a role that was earlier played by the state itself. This can have disastrous effects. CJI said.
Commenting on the civil liberties in digital age Justice Chandrachud said that the unprecedented proliferation of disinformation and hate speech on the internet has offered a serious challenge to the traditional ways of understanding free speech in a democracy.
He further elaborated that there was a classic state-activist-corporation relationship which played out in most struggles.
Today, however, large social media corporations don’t play the stereotypical role of being an entity that needs to be constrained or viewed as complicit with the state.
CJI highlighted that traditionally, freedom of speech and expression was deemed to be an essential part of civil rights activism because of the fear that the government would prevent certain kinds of speech from entering the marketplace.
With the advent of troll armies and organized disinformation campaigns across different social media platforms, the fear is that there is an overwhelming barrage of speech that distorts the truth,” the Chief Justice Said.
The intricate interplay between surveillance by the state and an individual’s right to privacy has been a subject of compelling debate within Indian jurisprudence.
The first case that dealt with privacy was R Rajagopal vs State of Tamil Nadu. The court determined that a magazine possessed the right to publish an autobiography penned by a prisoner, even in the absence of the prisoner’s consent or authorization.
Despite efforts by prison officials to hinder the publication by compelling the prisoner to request its nonpublication, the court underscored the need to maintain a delicate equilibrium between press freedom and the right to privacy.
Chief Justice Chandrachud said.
On Justice Tarkunde he said the core emphasis of the civil liberties movement that Justice Tarkunde championed is mirrored by digital rights activism today.
CJI looking back on Justice Tarkunde’s dedication to civil liberties, said that he inspired me as a young lawyer and continues to inspire me as I serve as a judge of a constitutional court. That Justice Tarkunde is regarded as the ‘Father of the Civil Rights Movement’ is no surprise. In every role he donned – as a senior advocate, High Court judge, and activist – he was steadfast in his commitment to democracy, radical humanism, and civil liberty.
No book, academic article or chronicle of the internal emergency imposed in the 1970s is complete without a reference to Justice Tarkunde’s spirited defence of personal liberty and democracy, both inside and outside the courtroom. Legal luminaries have hailed the courage of Justice Tarkunde, for standing his ground against the internal emergency declared in the country. During this period, Justice Tarkunde played a significant role in defending civil liberties.
