Objectionable videos: SC asks Google, FB for inputs

New Delhi: Internet majors like Google, Yahoo and Facebook and instant messaging application WhatsApp were on Monday directed by the Supreme Court to furnish details of complaints they have received in India about the uploading of objectionable contents on child pornography, rape and gangrape.

The apex court asked them to provide such details they received last year and this year till August 31 and also about the action taken by them on such complaints. A bench comprising Justices Madan B Lokur and U U Lalit directed the Ministry of Home Affiars (MHA) to apprise it about the number of prosecution under the provisions of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO) 2012, during this period.

"We would like the participating companies Google, Google India, Yahoo, Microsoft, Facebook and WhatsApp to place affidavits regarding number of complaints they have received from India about the objectionable contents concerning child pornography, rape and gangrape for the year and till August 31 and the action that has been taken on it," the bench said.

The court was hearing a letter sent to then Chief Justice of India H L Dattu by Hyderabad-based NGO Prajwala, along with two rape videos in a pen drive. The top court had on its own taken cognisance of the letter about posting of these videos on WhatsApp and asked CBI to launch a probe to apprehend the culprits.

During the hearing on Monday, the bench was informed by the committee, comprising representatives from the Centre and the internet majors which was constituted to explore technical solutions to block videos of sexual offences on social sites, that these companies had some objection to its report being placed in the public domain.

Chairperson of the committee told the court that these participating companies have raised some objections, after which the lawyers representing the internet firms said they should be given the copy of the panel's report which has been filed in the court in a sealed cover.