India, April 29 -- The Delhi High Court has done well to uphold the right of social media influencers to criticise brands provided the criticism is based on facts and is scientifically valid. The court ruling that they can do this without the fear of being sued for defamation or copyright violations expands the domain of free speech.

In an ideal scenario, a good-faith compact is implicit between consumers and brands -- the latter will not misrepresent a product's impact on the former, especially if it is health-related. Claims related to health effects must be factual and disclosure about potential adverse effects, including of specific ingredients, must be made transparently. But, as things exist, this compact is not always fully honour...