Celebrities take legal route to counter social media trolling

Indian courts often check for intent and possible malice behind the defamatory content

- Lata Jha

Celebrities are increasingly considering filing suits against media platforms that carry defamatory content by trolls, having become more cognizant of the damage that can be caused as the dissemination and consumption of content on the Internet surges.

Music composer A.R. Rahman recently threatened online portals with defamation suits for carrying harmful content related to his divorce, on the heels of actors Salman Khan and Akshay Kumar taking on YouTube channels for content against them. Legal experts said the institution of defamation claims remains a viable tool for celebrities wanting to protect their image.