Free speech online? Think again

The essence of social networking is connecting with people, sharing thoughts, building relationships etc. Not surprising then that people use the platform to vent their feelings; it could be anything from commenting about the movie they watched, a book they liked, ranting about their job or even voicing their opinion about the recent social or political happening. It’s basically taking interactions that we would normally have with our friends, to the virtual platform. But voicing your dissent or being a smart alec in the virtual world, as recent incidents have proved, could have legal consequences. The principles of free speech and freedom of expression on the web is widely debated. While some believe a degree of caution needs to be maintained, owing to the viral nature of the Internet, others are of the opinion that it shouldn’t be any different than in the real world. We have listed a few instances where posts on social networking sites have landed individuals in trouble with the law.Even liking a status could land you in trouble Click here for full story