INTERNET FREEDOM IN INDIA: A STUDY OF CENSORSHIP AND REGULATION

AUTHOR – SAMVARDHAN* & MS ASTHA SRIVASTAVA**

* STUDENT AT AMITY UNIVERSITY LUCKNOW

** ASSISTANT PROFESSOR AMITY UNIVERSITY LUCKNOW

BEST CITATION – SAMVARDHAN & MS ASTHA SRIVASTAVA, INTERNET FREEDOM IN INDIA: A STUDY OF CENSORSHIP AND REGULATION, INDIAN JOURNAL OF LEGAL REVIEW (IJLR), 5 (4) OF 2025, PG. 891-897, APIS – 3920 – 0001 & ISSN – 2583-2344.

Abstract

This piece looks at how India’s laws, censorship, and basic rights affect freedom of the internet. For free speech, access to knowledge, and social interaction, democracies need internet freedom. But in the past few years, the government’s tightening control over online material has made people in India worry about their civil liberties. The first part of the paper talks about the past of internet laws in India, focussing on the Information Technology Act, 2000 and the changes that were made to it. The article talks about several topics, including Section 69A of the IT Act, which lets online material be limited, and others. It also looks at how filtering affects basic rights like freedom of speech, privacy, and access to information. The paper also talks about how arbitrary control could happen because of government overreach, lack of clarity, and unclear legal provisions. This piece talks about how China’s internet rules are different from those in the US, EU, and other democracies. The results make it clear that we need a balanced system of rules that protects individual freedoms and takes into account the government’s valid worries. To protect internet freedom in India, the study suggests making the internet more open, having courts keep an eye on it, and using foreign best practices.

Keywords: Internet Freedom, Censorship, Regulation, Fundamental Rights, Information Technology Act, Freedom of Speech, Privacy, Comparative Analysis, Judicial Oversight, Digital Rights