Karnataka's new hate speech bill: What's up?

India Dec 13, 2025

Karnataka just introduced the Hate Speech and Hate Crimes (Prevention) Bill, aiming to crack down on hate speech and protect victims.
The bill covers expressions said, written, or posted that target people based on religion, caste, gender, and more.
First-time offenders could face 1-7 years in jail and a ₹50K fine; repeat offenses get even tougher penalties.

Why should you care?

This is a big move since India doesn't have a national hate speech law yet.
The bill also lets state officials block hateful content online—so your feeds might look a bit cleaner.
But some folks are worried the rules are too vague and could be misused to curb free speech.
It's sparking debate about where to draw the line between protecting people and protecting expression.