Give user info: HC to Google, YouTube

Chennai, Oct. 27: The Madras high court has directed Google and its subsidiary YouTube to provide details, including identity and address of a user Marupakkam Seithigal, who posted a video content dubbed defamatory by petitioner Lebara Foundation.

The court dismissed an appeal by Google and YouTube against the order of a single judge who directed them to disclose the IP address and other details of the uploader of the content in the title ‘Marupakkam Seithigal’ on YouTube about Lebara.

“The learned single judge has noticed, and in our view rightly so, that it is not some secret information affecting such personal rights of the undisclosed author of Marupakkam Seithigal, which are sought to be made available in pursuance of the directions of the court, but only the identity and address so that the court can take appropriate process to determine the Lebara’s rights, and the author of Marupakkam Seithigal.”

YouTube and Google filed a memo in the HC, stating that the IP address of the user resolved outside of Indian jurisdiction and as per prevailing Indian law, they are not in a position to provide user details. The division bench said, “The minimum that is required to be done when the portal is used for materials which are prima facie offensive is to disclose the identity and IP address in pursuance of the direction passed by the single judge.