Court raps Google, FB; gives 15 more days to remove 'objectionable' content

Admonishing internet firms like Google and Facebook, a Delhi court on Monday gave 15 more days to 22 social networking sites to remove 'objectionable' contents from their websites. According to media reports, a judge presiding over the matter said that these sites did not deserve any more time.

These firms have been asked to file a written reply in the matter in 15 more days.

Earlier today, Facebook India filed its compliance report before the court. Google India also told the court that it has removed certain web pages from the Internet on which objections were raised by the petitioners in the matter. Meanwhile, Facebook, Yahoo and Microsoft told the court that they have no role to play in the case and there is no cause of action against them in the matter.

The court also asked Google Inc as to why it was not coming up 'properly' with a reply and brushed aside its contention that it had received the copy of the judgment and other documents related to the case only on last Friday.

'Why are you (Google Inc) not coming properly with your reply?' the court said. 'Don't tell me you have been served only on Friday. After this entire hullabaloo that has been created in the last few months you should have been prepared,' it stated.

The court also asked the petitioner to supply the copies of all the documents relied upon, to all the opposite parties. The court had on December 20 last year, in a ex-parte order issued summons to 22 social networking websites asking them to remove 'anti-religious' or 'anti-social' content in the form of photographs, videos or text which might hurt religious sentiments.

It had on December 24 set February 6 as deadline for the websites for the same.