After India and Pakistan agreed to halt military actions, India's Foreign Secretary, Vikram Misri, was attacked with abusive comments on his social media account.
Misri locked his account after being trolled, and several politicians and diplomats condemned this toxic online behavior.
The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting had condemned Pakistan’s disinformation efforts, but remained silent on the trolling of Misri.
Social media in India has seen a rise in hate speech, abuse, and misinformation, especially targeting women, minorities, and marginalized communities.
Trolls often use social media for harassment, including threats of rape and death, with little regulation or accountability.
Tech companies should act swiftly to identify and stop trolls, and a strict anti-troll law should be implemented to prevent online harassment.
Current laws like the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Information Technology Act have limited provisions to tackle cyberbullying, but courts have taken action in some cases.
In the Shaviya Sharma case (2024), the Delhi High Court emphasized that doxing (revealing private information) violates privacy rights.
In a democracy, free speech is important, but disinformation and misinformation must be controlled with proper laws and guidelines.
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