‘Remove offensive Sasikala pics from FB’
HC stays order asking leader to pay `2L to Google, YouTube
The Delhi high court on Wednesday directed Facebook and Google to remove alleged derogatory material related to BJP leader Sasikala Pushpa who claimed that her image was being tarnished by purported morphed photos and videos with a man on social media. A bench of Justice Siddharth Mridul and Talwant Singh also stayed the June 2 judgment of a single judge relating to the direction to Sasikala to pay a cost of `2 lakh each to Facebook Inc as well as Google LLC and YouTube LLC.
The division bench, which was hearing the plea through video conferencing, issued a notice on the appeal filed by Sasikala, a former AIADMK leader, challenging the June 2 judgment and directed the social media platforms to file their responses to it. It listed the matter for September 3, before the registrar for completion of pleadings in the matter.
“In the meantime, respondents (Facebook, Google, and YouTube) are directed to remove forthwith the offending material,” the high court said in its interim order.
Facebook, Google, and YouTube contended before the bench that they are only intermediaries and do not upload any content on their platforms and that they also do not judge the uploaded material.
Senior advocates Mukul Rohatgi and Arun Kathpalia, representing Facebook and Google respectively, said they will comply with the high court's order and will immediately remove the content. Sasikala, through advocate Richa Kapoor, has challenged the single judge’s judgment and urged the division bench to direct the social media platforms to remove the objectionable photographs and also to set aside the cost imposed on her.
Sasikala’s counsel has also provided the list of URLs that are required to be removed from the platforms.
FB, Google, and YouTube contended before the bench that they are only intermediaries and do not upload any content on their platforms and that they also do not judge the uploaded material BJP LEADER Sasikala Pushpa has claimed that her image was being tarnished by purported morphed photos and videos with a man on social media