Imagine a rumor going around in Whatsapp.

Lets say it violates free speech laws and is liable to be sued and the one who sues is sure to win.

Lets say he sues and wins.

It still doesn't matter. Rumor about the lawsuit and the falsehood of the original content is already old news. And is not as quickly spreading as the original rumor.

The perpetrators of the original rumor win the war to influence, in-spite of free speech protections.

Free speech protections and laws mean nothing and are toothless in face of modern mass media tech.

Compare it to the old days, of the news being said on TV or Radio or in a Newspaper. They too can spread wild rumors but have definite and impactful backlash.

That negative feedback mechanism is lacking in platforms like FB and Whatsapp.

Probably but are laws real without enforcement?

I have seen few people getting beaten up badly and two dying due to mob killing them with law enforcement involved for speaking against "religious stuff" and a politician.

Just a recent thing that got some attention - https://twitter.com/ShefVaidya/status/1251818372343439361?s=...

But I assure you, this happens way more in small towns and villages.

Your Twitter reference has nothing to do with what you described above. Nice try with the rumor mill.

Very disingenuous reply, you can clearly see what happened in the video. Unconfirmed reports from different media sources (which hesitated to report this extensively for obvious reasons) indicated rumors from the fact that they were organ harvesting to that they were thieves etc.

It highlights that even with the police commissioner there, people can kill you for a rumour. So what is government enforcing if mob can take you apart for any reason they want?

If mob gets triggered by you criticising their cows or government (idk why blind patriotism is so widespread here), what would you do about your free speech if you get killed in the process with no enforcement against those who killed you or imagine a family member?

Honestly I am confused about free speech as well. Is the argument that government didn't stop you from criticising itself, just that the mob happens to kill you for it in public in the presence of the government make sense? Is that free speech?

Very less, people are routinely arrested for simple things like posting on FB on Twitter. And there is some Draconian sedition law, almost all critisim of government can be persecuted under that.

Also the freedom of speech guarantees are very watered down in comparison with the USA.

India has good free speech protections by law. In practice, there is very little tolerance.