New Delhi, Dec. 2 -- The Supreme Court on Monday stressed the importance of a balanced approach to regulating YouTube and similar platforms, cautioning that inflexible and harsh rules to regulate YouTubers and those on similar digital platforms could impose a "gag on free speech" and prove "devastating", even as it acknowledged the growing need for an effective mechanism to protect privacy, dignity and reputation of individuals and organisations from harmful online content. A bench comprising Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi said that while the court was conscious of increasing instances where individuals' rights were infringed through online videos and commentary, a balanced approach was essential. "Unless there is some stringent mechanism, it (YouTube and the like) cannot be controlled or regulated. But an inflexible mechanism has its own risk. They may amount to a gag on free speech and could prove devastating...We think these instances will have to be examined on a case-by-case basis," the bench remarked. The court was hearing an appeal filed by Kerala-based YouTuber Suraj Palakaran, who sought quashing of criminal proceedings against him for allegedly revealing the identity of a child involved in a POCSO case in one of his videos. The bench noted that Palakaran had released the photograph of the child's father, which eventually resulted in the child's identity being revealed-an offence under Section 23 of the POCSO Act. P4...