What is Digital Vigilantism?

Digital vigilantism refers to people taking the law into their own hands online by exposing, accusing, or punishing someone on social media without proper verification or legal process.

This often includes sharing unverified allegations, revealing personal information, or running online campaigns that can harm a person’s reputation.

While it may be driven by a sense of justice, it can lead to serious misuse and injustice.

In India, such acts may attract legal action under Section 356 BNS (earlier Section 500 IPC), IT Act provisions (like Section 67), and laws protecting privacy and dignity under Article 21 of the Constitution.