Abstract

When the Constitution of India came into force in the year 1950, it guaranteed the freedom of speech and expression. However, this right is subjected to exception as provided under Article 19(2). Censorship of the media comes under the ambit of this “reasonable restrictions”. On the basis of Information Technology Rules of 2011, anything that is considered as a threat the unity, integrity, defense, security or sovereignty of India, friendly relations with foreign states or public order, constitutes objectionable content. In this era whereby the world has became a global village, internet has become an integral part of our day to day life. Once it was considered as a luxury, now has become a necessity. The physical world has been turned into a virtual world which has also been witnessed during Covid-19 pandemic. This form of online media has both pros and cons. Despite of all the potentials, there are numerous factors which if not controlled, may threaten the peace in the society, since these online contents have the potential to affect the society and the young generation, if not controlled, in a malicious manner. Online entertainment, which is just one click away, people from all the age groups are exposed to it. It becomes interesting to look into the details with regard to how reasonable and feasible it is, to restrict the “objectionable” content available on the online media.

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