HC to hear on May 10 pleas against order to remove anti-Ramdev links globally

New Delhi: The Delhi High Court Monday said it would hear on May 10, pleas by Internet and social media giants, Facebook, Twitter and Google, challenging an order directing them to remove, block or disable on a global basis links to a video containing defamatory allegations against yoga guru Ramdev.

A bench of Justices Rajiv Shakdher and Jasmeet Singh listed the appeals for hearing in May while asking the parties to file written submissions at least three days before the next date of hearing.

The bench said the interim order of January 28, 2020, based on the statement of counsel for Ramdev that no contempt will be issued against the appellants, shall continue.

Facebook, Twitter and Google have challenged the single judge's October 23, 2019 order directing them and Google's subsidiary YouTube to forthwith remove, block or disable on a global basis links to a video containing defamatory allegations against Ramdev.

The single judge had held that merely 'geo-blocking' or disabling access to the defamatory content to viewers from India,

as agreed to by the social media platforms, would not be sufficient as users residing here can gain access to it by other means.

"There is an obligation upon the intermediary "https://www.business-standard.com/topic/social-media" -n platforms) to disable access, which would have to be read as meaning to completely disable access and not partially disable access," the court had said.

Observing that "the race between technology and the law could be termed as a hare and tortoise race - as technology gallops, the law tries to keep pace", the court had said the provisions of the Information Technology

law have to be interpreted in a manner so as to ensure judicial orders are effective and "not toothless".