Delhi HC’s strong directive, restrains YouTube channels from sharing Aaradhya’s videos

Delhi High Court on Thursday restrained certain YouTube channels from disseminating and transmitting any videos with false claims in relation to Amitabh Bachchan’s 11-year-old granddaughter, Aaradhya Bachchan. During hearing on a case by Aaradhya, Justice C Hari Shankar observed that " identical video can be created or published".

court reprimanded video platform YouTube for dissemination of misleading information related to a child and termed videos on a Youtube channel for spreading fake news about her health as completely “intolerable in name of law”.

Delhi HC issues strong directives in Aaradhya Bachchan case

Court issued strong directives stating, " defendants 1-9 and ir associates or nts are restrained from disseminating or furr transmitting videos relating to URLs identified in application. Defendants are also restrained from publishing or sharing any videos which are identical or similar in content to videos falling subject matter of said URLs. It is clarified that this would encompass all videos dealing with physical condition of plaintiff".

Delhi HC furr directed Google to expose identity of defendants to Bachchan’s and immediately take stern action to deactivate URLs mentioned in plaint. "Google LLC shall reveal to plaintiff and place on affidavit identity details of Defendants 1-9 including basic subscriber information and IP address information presently available with it. Google will immediately delist videos contained in application".

"On plaintiff bringing to Google's tice any or video uploaded on YouTube platform dealing with physical health of plaintiff, it will immediately proceed to take down said URL. Plaintiff will however be required to bring this fact to tice of this court," court observed. 

court also instructed Ministry of Electronics and Information Techlogy (Meity) to "Block Access" to all aforesaid uploaded content or similar content on plaintiff bringing to ir tice. "Meity is directed to ensure disabling of access to block access to content uploaded by defendants 1-9 as well as to any or similar videos or clips containing similar content on plaintiff bringing it to ir tice.

As per Delhi HC's order, this compliance had to be enforced within a period of one week from today (April 20).

Delhi High Court’s razor-sharp observations come in backdrop of ongoing debate of wher tech giants need to step forth and take responsibility for content hosted on ir platforms. YouTube, which at an aver hosts an estimated aver of 2,500 fresh videos per minute on a daily basis, has been hauled up for what may be seen as an arms-length approach vis-a-vis content of videos mselves.

With revision of IT rules and India adopting a strong outlook to ensure responsibility is taken with precision and policies of big tech platforms are revised in tune with law of land, latest Delhi High Court observations re-iterate commitment that New India has adopted vis-a-vis cyber security and responsibility.