Court sets deadline for 21 websites to remove objectionable content

Facebook, Microsoft, YouTube, Google, among 21 others will have to strip their websites off any objectionable content, latest by February 6, 2012, according to a Delhi court's directive. A Times of India report confirms now that 21 social networking sites, including the ones mentioned above have been "issued summons" by the court, on grounds of carrying objectionable content. They have now been charged with section 292 (sale of obscene books etc), 293 (sale of obscene objects to young person etc) and 120-B (criminal conspiracy) of the IPC.

What next? (Image source: Getty Images)

Acting on a private complaint, Metropolitan Magistrate, Sudesh Kumar has asked the Centre to file a report in the court, latest by January 13. Social networking sites in India have been going through a rough phase, after the government began showing dislike for the content portrayed. Now, as per the court's directive, if these sites fail to clear derogatory content off their websites by February 6, 2012 they would be charged for contempt of court.

In its statement the court said, "It appears from a bare perusal of the documents that prima facie the accused in connivance with each other and other unknown persons are selling, publicly exhibiting and have put into circulation obscene, lascivious content which also appears to the prurient interests and tends to deprave and corrupt the persons who are likely to read, see or hear the same. It is also evident that such contents are continuously openly and freely available to everyone who is using the said network irrespective of their age and even the persons under the age of 18 years have full and uncensored access to such obscene contents."