Karnataka govt clears bill to fight hate speech, hate crimes, aims to bring media channels under its ambit

New Delhi: In a bid to curb rising incidents of hate speeches and hate crimes, the Karnataka government introduced a new law targeting them. The state Cabinet has approved the Karnataka Hate Speech and Hate Crimes (Prevention) Bill, 2025, and it will be introduced in the upcoming Belagavi Legislature Session.

With this bill, the state government aims to create a comprehensive legal framework to curb hate speech. Recently, the Supreme Court classified the spreading of hate crimes as a serious offence.

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The draft Bill states that any act that harms someone or promotes hatred on the basis of religion, race, caste, community, gender, sexual orientation, birthplace, language, residence, disability or tribal identity will be considered an offence with punishment of up to three years of imprisonment, or a fine of up to Rs 5,000, or both.

According to the Bill , those who intentionally publish, promote, or justify hate speech will be liable for prosecution. The definition of harm includes emotional, psychological, physical, social, or economic injury. It would cover several digital content, including data, messages, text, images, audio, audio signals, software, databases, and microfilms.

Also, the Bill brings under its ambit media channels, telecom service providers, network operators, internet service providers, web-hosting companies, social media platforms, search engines, online payment services, e-auction sites, online marketplaces, and cyber cafés, making them accountable in cases involving the dissemination of hate speech.