Court Finds Complete Account Blocking Excessive
In the Kerala High Court social media account blocking case, the High Court directed the immediate restoration of a petitioner’s Facebook account. The Court held that authorities cannot disable an entire social media profile because of a few objectionable posts. Justice Ziyad Rahman A.A. observed that while the State may seek the removal of specific content affecting public interest or state security, blocking the complete account is a disproportionate measure.
Petitioner Challenged Blocking of Facebook Profile
The interim order came in the writ petition N. Madhavan Kutty v. Union of India & Others. The petitioner, N. Madhavan Kutty, approached the Kerala High Court after losing access to his Facebook profile. He sought the restoration of his account through the writ petition.
Police Ordered the Account to Be Blocked
During the hearing, the State informed the Court that the Kerala Police had instructed the blocking of the petitioner’s Facebook account. The police objected to certain posts uploaded by the petitioner and directed that the entire profile be disabled.
However, Justice Ziyad Rahman A.A. examined the records and found that the police had raised objections only to a few specific posts. The materials did not indicate that the entire account contained objectionable content.
Court Draws a Clear Distinction
The Court clarified that the State and police authorities have the power to request the removal or blocking of specific online content if it threatens state security or public interest. However, that authority does not automatically extend to disabling an entire social media account.
Justice Ziyad Rahman A.A. held that blocking a complete Facebook profile because of isolated posts was excessive and legally unsustainable. The Kerala High Court social media account blocking ruling emphasized that authorities must adopt proportionate measures while regulating online content.
Interim Relief Granted
Accordingly, the High Court issued an interim direction for the immediate restoration of the petitioner’s Facebook account. The Court permitted the authorities to proceed against specific objectionable posts in accordance with law but declined to allow the blanket blocking of the entire social media profile.
