India, Jan. 1 -- In 2025, the Karnataka, Kerala, Madras, and Telangana high courts took up issues of digital governance, such as who controls online speech, how far the state can go in regulating social media, and what role courts must play in protecting citizens from harm.

The Karnataka high court's ruling upholding the Union government's Sahyog portal emerged as the most significant development. The verdict, passed by a single judge, endorsed executive control over online takedowns and put the court at the centre of a debate on platform regulation and free speech.

Other southern high courts examined the same ecosystem from different angles. The Madras high court flagged the absence of robust child-safety laws online. It urged Parliame...