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Facebook, Google in legal web, govt says prosecute
.
.
The government on Friday sanctioned the
prosecution of 21 social networking sites
including Facebook and Google for carrying
content that allegedly promotes enmity between
classes. A Delhi metropolitan magistrates court
directed the ministry of external affairs to get
summonses served on the companies, including
over 10 foreign-based web giants.
The development comes a day after the Delhi
high court refused to stay criminal proceedings
against the websites and warned that they could
be blocked, like in China, if they failed to remove
objectionable content.
The sanctioning authority has gone through the
materials produced before him and after
considering and examining the same, he is
satisfied there is sufficient material to proceed
against the accused persons, the Centre said in
its report to metropolitan magistrate Sudesh
Kumar.
The companies face prosecution for promoting
enmity between groups on grounds of religion,
race, language, etc., acts prejudicial to
maintenance of harmony and national integration,
deliberate acts intended to outrage religious
feelings all of which carry a maximum three-
year jail sentence.
Monitoring content on the net, especially that
which is user-generated, has been a controversial
issue.
IT minister Kapil Sibal had earlier raised the issue
with the representatives of some of these
companies and discussed ways to ensure such
content is not posted.
But before the two sides could work out a
solution, two individuals filed separate cases
one criminal, one civil in Delhi against the
websites.
While the metropolitan magistrate summoned
the websites on December 23 last year the
summonses could not be executed till now for
want of prior sanction of the central or state
government or district magistrate, as required
under the Information Technology Act a civil
judge on December 24 ordered the sites to
remove all "anti-religious" or "anti-social" content
by February 6, 2012.
.
.
Facebook, Google in legal web, govt says prosecute - Hindustan Times
.
.
The government on Friday sanctioned the
prosecution of 21 social networking sites
including Facebook and Google for carrying
content that allegedly promotes enmity between
classes. A Delhi metropolitan magistrates court
directed the ministry of external affairs to get
summonses served on the companies, including
over 10 foreign-based web giants.
The development comes a day after the Delhi
high court refused to stay criminal proceedings
against the websites and warned that they could
be blocked, like in China, if they failed to remove
objectionable content.
The sanctioning authority has gone through the
materials produced before him and after
considering and examining the same, he is
satisfied there is sufficient material to proceed
against the accused persons, the Centre said in
its report to metropolitan magistrate Sudesh
Kumar.
The companies face prosecution for promoting
enmity between groups on grounds of religion,
race, language, etc., acts prejudicial to
maintenance of harmony and national integration,
deliberate acts intended to outrage religious
feelings all of which carry a maximum three-
year jail sentence.
Monitoring content on the net, especially that
which is user-generated, has been a controversial
issue.
IT minister Kapil Sibal had earlier raised the issue
with the representatives of some of these
companies and discussed ways to ensure such
content is not posted.
But before the two sides could work out a
solution, two individuals filed separate cases
one criminal, one civil in Delhi against the
websites.
While the metropolitan magistrate summoned
the websites on December 23 last year the
summonses could not be executed till now for
want of prior sanction of the central or state
government or district magistrate, as required
under the Information Technology Act a civil
judge on December 24 ordered the sites to
remove all "anti-religious" or "anti-social" content
by February 6, 2012.
.
.
Facebook, Google in legal web, govt says prosecute - Hindustan Times
