The Delhi High Court recently made some comments about “digital vigilantism”, and said that statements can sometimes “go beyond mere free expression and act as a catalyst for public embarrassment”. The context is a defamation suit brought before the court by a man who allegedly misbehaved with a woman on a domestic flight. The woman attempted to aggravate his conduct by posting her account on social media, which was shared by a media house and an actress, who did not explicitly confirm the allegations made in the post.

These comments and statements once again highlight the growing use of social media to amplify claims of harassment and misconduct due to a sense of collective helplessness and people’s lack of trust in the system to rapidly and adequately address claims of sexual harassment.