Shreya Singhal v. Union of India

Short case summary

The Supreme Court struck down Section 66A of the Information Technology Act, 2000 for violating freedom of speech under Article 19(1)(a), without protection under Article 19(2). The judgment separately upheld Section 69A and its blocking rules and read down the intermediary provision considered in the case. It did not strike down the entire IT Act.

The question before the Court

The challenge concerned restrictions on online expression, particularly the breadth and vagueness of Section 66A. The Court examined the relationship between the restriction and the constitutionally permitted grounds in Article 19(2). Its analysis of expression should be distinguished from separate offences concerning identity theft, personation or other conduct.

Read the concluding order precisely

Paragraph 119 separately records the conclusions on Section 66A, Section 69A and Section 79. A research note should state which provision and conclusion it relies on. A screenshot of a bare Act that still prints Section 66A is not sufficient to establish that it can be enforced; the constitutional judgment must be accounted for.

What this note does not establish

This is a focused explanation of the 2015 judgment. It does not certify the current text of intermediary rules, subsequent judgments or the outcome of a present complaint. Check later legislation and judicial treatment before using the decision in professional work. Preserve the alleged publication, its date and the precise provision relied on when seeking advice.

Official source and check scope

Case identity, decision date and the described passages were checked against the linked court document on 2026-10-25. This AI-assisted note is not individually advocate-reviewed; subsequent judicial treatment has not been reviewed.

Passage locator: Concluding paragraph 119, PDF page 112; opening case metadata, PDF page 1.