-Express News Service
Google India has told Delhi High Court that some of the content on the Internet “may be defamatory (and) obscene but (it) cannot be checked”.
Google India is not a service provider, but a subsidiary of Google Inc., and is a separate entity distinct from its holding US-based firm, Additional Solicitor General Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for Google India, said during the hearing of a plea against summons issued by a Delhi magistrate over alleged objectionable content.
“We cannot control a billion minds. Some are conservative, some are liberal and some write all the defamatory and obnoxious articles on web pages. There is a procedure for getting them removed,” he said.
Counsel for Google India submitted that they were willing to take up the matter with Google Inc for getting any objectionable content removed if the complainant or the trial court provided them the internet address of the offensive matter.
Justice Suresh Kait gave the name of a website, but the counsel asked for the URL. Dissatisfied at the response, Justice Kait said: “You are taking the matter very casually. When I have given you a website address, you are raising more questions. One of the articles shows a national leader in bad light. Such things could be posted about a family member of any of us and maybe we will then act promptly.”
The court did not stay the summons issued by Metropolitan Magistrate Sudesh Kumar, and only agreed with the lawyers’ plea that they would not press for an effective hearing in the trial court on Friday.