Govt sanctions prosecution of Microsoft, Facebook, Google, Yahoo and 17 others
14 Jan 2012
There is more trouble for social websites operating in India following a Delhi high court warning them to devise mechanism to check or remove objectionable content or face action like in China.
The government yesterday told a Delhi trial court that it had sufficient material against 21 social networking sites to prosecute them on offences of promoting enmity between classes and causing prejudice to national integration.
"The sanctioning authority has personally gone through the entire records and materials produced before him and after considering and examining the same, he is satisfied that there is sufficient material to proceed against the accused persons under section 153-A, 153-B and 295-A of the IPC," the centre said in its report placed before metropolitan magistrate Sudesh Kumar.
The list of sites includes Microsoft, Facebook, Google, and Yahoo.
The accused would now have to appear in person at the next date for further proceedings in the matter on 13 March.
On 23 December, summons were issued against 21 social networking websites for allegedly committing offences of criminal conspiracy, sale of obscene books and sale of obscene objects to young persons.
