Obscene videos: SC asks about mechanism to identify culprits

The Supreme Court on Tuesday asked internet services providers (ISPs) like Google whether there was any mechanism to identify culprits uploading obscene contents on websites. The apex court did not prima facie agree with the submission that there cannot be preventive blockage but only curative blockage.

A bench of Justices M B Lokur and U U Lalit referred to the loss of reputation and dignity of women and children, whose offensive and obscene sexual offence videos were uploaded on websites and asked the counsel for Google about the mechanism, if any, to identify culprits before they upload such objectionable contents.

Senior advocate Sajan Poovayya, appearing for Google, said being an ISP, it only "catalogued" the contents and the offensive ones were taken off when they are brought to its notice.