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The Constitutional Implications Of Meme Culture: Freedom Of Expression In The Digital Age


Riya Sinha, UPES (School of Law), Dehradun


ABSTRACT


Memes, which are frequently amusing pictures or videos with text added, have proliferated as a means of communication on the internet, influencing conversation and expressing sentiments in society. With the rise of meme culture in this tech-savvy age, a new era of communication has entered the picture, which in turn provides a brand-new perspective on the freedom of expression in the framework of the Constitution of India. Article 19(1)(a) of the Constitution of India secures the fundamental right to freedom of expression. This right is not absolute but is subject to certain restrictions and such restrictions comprise refraining from expressing in a way that is derogatory or harmful to India’s integrity, sovereignty, relations with foreign states, decency, moral values, public order, etc.


The interaction between these provisions and the irrelevancy of the meme culture is something that needs to be deeply examined as memes have prominently been an instrument to convey not just entertaining satirical limericks but also a medium for people, in general, to indulge in hate speech, misinformation or shaming someone based on their colour, gender, sexual orientations, religion, etc, in the name of freedom of expression.



Indian Journal of Law and Legal Research

Abbreviation: IJLLR

ISSN: 2582-8878

Website: www.ijllr.com

Accessibility: Open Access

License: Creative Commons 4.0

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All research articles published in The Indian Journal of Law and Legal Research are fully open access. i.e. immediately freely available to read, download and share. Articles are published under the terms of a Creative Commons license which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

 

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The opinions expressed in this publication are those of the authors. They do not purport to reflect the opinions or views of the IJLLR or its members. The designations employed in this publication and the presentation of material therein do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the IJLLR.

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