The growing digitisation of Indian society is reflective in the ongoing protests by farmers. Battles are being waged every day in gram sabhas and protest sites as well on social media. Each day on Twitter, a new hashtag trends for and against the farm laws, or farm leaders, or the promoters of leading Indian conglomerates, leaders of Opposition and even the Prime Minister. This conversation is public, chaotic but also democratic. In this adversarial contest, a recent government direction was issued to the social media platform, ordering it to shut down user accounts connected with these protests. This direction presents a clear breach of fundamental rights but also reveals a complex relationship between the government and large platforms on the understanding of the Constitution of India.
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Feud between Donald Trump and Jack Dorsey can have long-lasting effects on how we consume media in India.
With close to 670 million active internet connections, today more Indians consume media through digital modes. This practically means a content feed based on the social media platform of your choice. It may be Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, Share-Chat or even WhatsApp. India has the highest number of users and views on several of these global online platforms. Due to their scale and size, they have faced a recurring debate on social harms and allegations of bias.