Right to Freedom of Expression vs. Review Bombing

Table of contents

Context (TH): Malayalam director approached the Kerala High Court seeking a gag on social media and YouTube reviews following a film’s release to protect it from review bombing.
It is being claimed that review bombing threatens the industry’s financial stability.

Review Bombing

Review bombing is the act of posting numerous negative reviews, often coordinated, to harm the reputation of a product, service, or content.
Mainly linked to media and entertainment, review bombing extends to other areas like online marketplaces, apps, and businesses.
It can be done for various reasons, such as:
- Protest or grievance
- Promote competitors’ product
- Personal vendettas
- Social or political motivations

Freedom of expression is a fundamental right guaranteed by Article 19(1)(a) of Indian Constitution.
It states that all citizens have the right to freedom of speech and expression, subject to certain reasonable restrictions.

It is solely available to a citizen of India, not to a foreign national.
It includes the right to express one’s views and opinions about any issue.
It includes the right to express in any medium, such as by words, writing, printing, etc.
This right is not absolute; GoI can impose reasonable restrictions in cases which involve:
- Sovereignty and integrity of India
- Security of the state
- Friendly relations with foreign nations
- Public order, decency and morality
- Contempt of court
- Defamation and incitement to an offence.

It can misled consumers seeking accurate information.
It can unfairly harm the reputation and livelihood of creators, businesses, or developers.
Coordinated review bombing can suppress the genuine opinions of users.
It is susceptible to manipulation by trolls, competitors, or individuals with malicious intent.
Prolonged and widespread review bombing can erode trust in online review systems.
Review bombers often escape accountability, making addressing this practice’s misuse difficult.

There is a grey area between review bombing and freedom of expression.
If review bombing is motivated by genuine reasons, it can be a form of freedom of expression.
But if review bombing is motivated by malicious intent, it misuses freedom of expression.
So, the interests of creators, businesses, etc., should be protected from review bombing but not at the cost of freedom of expression. So, a proper regulatory body is the need of the hour.