A talk on Social media and its legal implications

On the 1st September,2017, a talk was organised for students on legal implications connected with misuse of the social media for students of classes 10 and 11

Lead speaker, Mr. Sumit Nagpal spoke at length about the consequences one can face merely by posting, liking, commenting or sharing things casually on social media. Students were informed about relevant articles in the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the penalties under the same.

Everything posted on social media is subject to legal scrutiny. Shaming people, infringing upon another's right to privacy, anti-national posts, obscene materials etc., are not allowed to be posted or shared on social media sites like Whatsapp, Facebook, Twitter and the others. Punishment could be upto 3 years of jail along with fines, if anything unlawful is posted.

Mr. Nagpal informed the audience about 2 cases, where persons had been punished on grounds of 'allegations'. Section 124 of the IPC can result in life imprisonment for sedition.

The talk was a great source of information for the students as well as the teachers. We hope that the children will exercise great caution whilst on social media. It is a great source of information and can be a virtue for the present generation, but only if it is used with discretion and wisdom. Sirjan Kaur Kohli.