Published on 18th March 2025
Authored By: Jay laxmi Shukla
United University
Introduction
Social media has revolutionized the way people communicate, pierce information, and engage with the world. It has come an necessary tool for expression, connection, and invention. Still, as its influence grows, so do the challenges it presents. From the spread of misinformation and hate speech to issues girding sequestration and online importunity, the limited nature of social media raises significant enterprises. This creates a delicate balance between guarding freedom of expression — a foundation of republic and icing responsibility for the dangerous consequences that can arise from unbounded use. Regulating social media, thus, involves navigating this fine line, addressing legal, ethical, and societal considerations to foster a responsible and secure digital space without stifling individual rights. This composition delves into the complications of striking this balance, examining the crossroad of freedom and responsibility in the evolving geography of social media laws.
The Evolution of Social Media Platforms
It was 15th of August, 1995, the Internet was first launched for the first time in India By Videsh Sanchar Nigam Limited( [1]VSNL). Moment it has been possible for us to shift ourselves from the big desktops to androids in our win only because of this emergence of Internet. Originally, it was launched only for Educational Research Network( [2]ERNET). Chennai, Mumbai, Kolkata, Delhi were the places where the Internet was launched for the first time. To give an unequivocal terrain in telecommunications Telecom Regulatory Authority was launched in 1997. The emergence of Reliance Jio had originally handed people with free Internet services and latterly at much cheaper rates. New Media has taken its conformation from the publish Media but its target followership is different from that of publish media. It has enabled people to partake there studies on different websites of Social media platforms. Internet has converted every aspect of Traditional Media.
Types of Media
Social Media is a two way communicated platform through which information and entertainment reach the targeted followership and the followership also get a chance to partake their views( Vikram Bhargava and Vasudha Luniya, 2021)( 2). Andreas Kalpan and Michael Haenlien define social media as “ a group of internet grounded operations that make on the ideological and technological foundations of web 2.0, and allow the creation and exchange of stoner- generated content( 3). Web 2.0 refers to the internet platforms that permits the complementary participation by the druggies. Media is simply a communication delivery system just like a vehicle to carry the information to the targeted public. Media is astronomically classified into four orders . I Press Media II Broadcast Media. III, Internet IV Out Of Home Media.
Publish Media consists of review which is one of the high sources of information for a jillion of compendiums . It allows prompt delivery of detailed content of news with engaging features for compendiums . In more recent times, publish Media is distinguishable to be used with desktop publishing software and electronic book reading technology, similar as the Amazon kindles. Television, Radio, flicks/ pictures, Video Games all this falls under Broadcast Media which covers anything which is broadcasted to a vast range of followership. Out-of-door Media gives rise to considerable reach and frequency at low cost position. It includes bill boards, announcements, etc. Internet is the fleetly growing media among all and offers measureless openings. Being in the public sphere, the use of the Internet fully depends upon how a stoner solicitations to use it.
Current social media scenario in India
India is the most vibrant country with the second largest number of internet users encyclopaedically having the most seductive and competitive Internet request. On an average there are about 500 million social media druggies in India on a yearly base. WhatsApp is the map- beating social media platform used by about 530 million of users, followed by Facebook with 450 million of guests, Instagram with 210 million user . YouTube with 410 million of users, Twitter having 175 million druggies latterly as there are numerous druggies who have subscribed to variety of platforms. The Press Council of India a tone- regulating statutory body and the News Broadcasting norms Authority a tone-nonsupervisory association issues guidelines and restricts the inflow of news for upgrading the norms of review and news agencies in India. The conventional [i]media gets controlled by these statutory bodies. As a result of heavy inflow of information data to a great degree remains limited in unconventional media. The limited media can pose trouble to India as a responsible popular nation. The issues created by the Social Media Platform should be linked to overcome the challenges. There should be establishment of certain authorities who are devoted to the same cause. Technology can be made a bigger part of Indian Economy only if the good aspects are exercised out of it. Some private actors in order to publicize their action uses the media to produce screams and lynching. The being laws and the institutions should be streamlined in order to help similar chaos in Social Media.
Challenges Posed by Unregulated Social Media
Limited social media presents significant challenges, including the spread of misinformation, pitfalls to public security, and increased polarization in society. Also, it can lead to internal health issues, cyberbullying, and the exploitation of stoner data, pressing the need for effective oversight.
Spread of Misinformation
– Social media platforms frequently amplify false information, leading to wide misconceptions and confusion.
– The rapid-fire dispersion of fake news can have real- world consequences, as seen in events like the Capitol screams on January 6, 2021.
– Algorithms prioritize sensational content, which frequently includes misinformation, over factual reporting.
Threats to National Security
-Limited social media allows foreign adversaries to exploit these platforms for propaganda and misinformation juggernauts.
– Countries like Russia and China use social media to undermine popular processes and sow disharmony among citizens.
– The lack of responsibility for social media companies makes it easier for bad actors to manipulate public opinion and influence choices.
Increased Polarization
– Social media creates echo chambers where druggies are exposed primarily to shoes that support their own beliefs.
– This miracle contributes to societal division, making political concession decreasingly delicate.
– The modification of extreme content fosters an terrain of hostility and dogmatism.
Mental Health Issue
– There’s a growing concern about the impact of social media on the internal health of youthful people, including increased rates of anxiety, depression, and suicidal creativity.
-Social media platforms frequently promote dangerous content, similar as unrealistic body images and unhealthy life comparisons.
– The addicting nature of these platforms can lead to dropped attention spans and social chops among youth.
Cyberbullying and Exploitation
-Limited social media surroundings can grease cyberbullying, leading to severe emotional torture for victims.
-youthful druggies are particularly vulnerable to predation and exploitation, with shy protections in place.
– The collection and trade of particular data by social media companies raise significant sequestration enterprises.
Need for Effective Oversight
– There’s a pressing need for legislation to regulate social media companies and cover druggies from detriment.
– Proposed measures include translucency in algorithms, data sequestration protections, and safeguards against dangerous content.
-cooperative sweats among governments, civil society, and tech companies are essential to produce a safer online terrain.
Freedom of expression is a bedrock
Social media was supposed to be a popular dream — a space where all voices could be heard, ideas could flow freely, and connections could be made across borders. As a strong religionist in free speech, I’ve always supported the idea that society should set wide limits on what’s respectable in public converse. Freedom of expression is a bedrock of any open society, and foreign countries had long been a lamp of this principle.
But commodity has since shifted. It’s not the loud and visible expressions of free speech that worry me those can be brazened and batted . It’s the silent, unnoticeable manipulation taking place behind the scenes that poses the real trouble. Unlike open debate, which allows for disproof and discussion, manipulation through algorithms and retired content prioritization strips us of our agency without us indeed realizing it.
Two recent events bring this issue into sharp focus. The dissolution of Romania’s presidential election after allegations of foreign influence and the ongoing U.S. sweats to ban Instagram illustrate how limited platforms can be used as tools of retired manipulation. These incidents raise critical questions for citizens and businesses likewise
Organized crime exploits social media loopholes
While foreign states may have geopolitical goals, organized crime groups have financial and political motives. These groups are increasingly leveraging social media platforms to spread fake content, defraud users, and influence public perception. In some cases, criminal networks act as “disinformation contractors,” spreading propaganda on behalf of paying political clients.
A worrying trend is the rise of “black PR” campaigns, where disinformation is weaponized to attack business competitors or political rivals. Companies and individuals become targets of smear campaigns, often orchestrated by anonymous accounts that cannot be easily traced. In Scandinavia, where trust and reputation are vital, these tactics pose a serious threat to both businesses and governments.
For business leaders, this means the days of “hands-off” social media engagement are over. Corporate strategies must include crisis management plans for dealing with disinformation attacks. Furthermore, companies must actively monitor social media for fake news that could harm their brand image. Just as firms have cybersecurity operations, they may soon need “disinformation operations” to detect and counter false narratives.
Current Regulatory Approaches
Current Nonsupervisory approaches in social media aim to balance freedom of speech with the liabilities of platforms to moderate content. Colorful strategies, including tone- regulation and compliance with differing legal fabrics, are being explored to insure that both free expression and responsibility are maintained.
Overview of Current Regulatory Approaches
– Regulatory fabrics are evolving to address the complications of social media, fastening on balancing freedom of speech with the need for responsible content temperance.
-Different authorities have varying laws that impact how social media platforms operate, leading to a patchwork of regulations.
Proposed Regulatory Strategies.
Clear Delineations Establishing clear guidelines for respectable content can help separate between dangerous misinformation and licit expression.
– tone- Regulation Encouraging social media companies to develop their own canons of conduct can promote responsibility while esteeming stoner diversity.
-Public Engagement Involving stakeholders, including civil society and experts, in the nonsupervisory process can lead to more balanced and effective legislation.
Translucency and stoner commission
– translucency Mechanisms Platforms should give clear information about their content temperance practices and algorithms to make stoner trust.
– stoner commission Legislation could enhance stoner control over sequestration settings and reporting mechanisms, enabling individualities to navigate the digital geography more effectively.
– The ongoing dialogue around social media regulation highlights the need for a balanced approach that protects free speech while icing responsibility and stoner safety. As technology and societal morals evolve, nonsupervisory fabrics must acclimatize to address these challenges effectively.
Ethical Considerations in Social Media Regulation
Ethical considerations in social media regulation revolve around the pressure between guarding freedom of speech and icing stoner safety and responsibility. Crucial issues include the need for clear content temperance guidelines, the eventuality for suppression, and the significance of translucency and stoner commission in the nonsupervisory process. Crucial Ethical Considerations
Key Challenges in Regulation.
– Freedom vs. Suppression Striking a balance between allowing free speech and precluding dangerous content, similar as hate speech and misinformation, is a significant challenge.
– stoner Rights The rights of individualities, including the right to be forgotten and protection from online importunity, must be considered in nonsupervisory fabrics.
–Global Variability Different countries have different legal norms for what constitutes respectable speech, complicating enforcement for transnational platforms.
Conclusion
Citizens must come more critical of the information they consume and laboriously corroborate news sources before participating content. Digital knowledge juggernauts should be a public precedence, especially in seminaries, to insure that youngish generations have the tools to spot intimation. Business leaders, on the other hand, must fete that their part extends beyond profit. By choosing which platforms to support with advertising plutocrat, companies can incentivize responsible gets From social media giants., If platforms fail to misbehave, companies should consider turning their announcement budgets to platforms that meet advanced ethical norms.
Governments, too, have a part to play. Regulatory oversight is essential, and countries should push for stronger rules at the there position.. Governments should explore further targeted measures to insure translucency in social media algorithms, promote media knowledge, and guard choices from external hindrance.
References
[1] Videsh Sanchar Nigam Limited
[2] Education and Research Network
[1] Madhuparna Das, Social Media Posts Trigger Seven Communal Riots in a Month in West Bengal, The Economic Times,( 8 July, 2017), https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/social-media-posts-trigger-seven-communal-riots-in-a-month-in-west-bengal/articleshow/59496771.cms?from=mdr
[2] Vikram Bhargava and Vasundha Luniya, How India regulates Social Media and the OTT Platforms – Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines And Digital Media Ethics Code)Rules, 2021, Mondaq, (May 25, 2021), https://www.mondaq.com/india/social-media/1069974/how-india-regulates-social
[3] Constitution of India, Article 19(1) (Indian Kanoon,2018) https://indiankanoon.org/doc/1142233/ accessed 2 July 2024.
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[7]Psychology, 32(1), 51–62.
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