Google's Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Sundar Pichai was served a contempt notice by a Mumbai court over YouTube's failure to remove a defamatory video from the entertainment platform, according to multiple media reports.
The notice issued on November 21 by the Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate’s Court in Ballard Pier said the entertainment platform failed to comply with a March 2023 order to remove a defamatory video targeting the Dhyan Foundation and its founder, Yogi Ashwini, reported the news portal Business Today.
What were the allegations of non-compliance?
The Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate’s Court in Ballard Pier issued a contempt notice regarding YouTube's repeated non-compliance with a March 2022 court order directing the entertainment platform to remove a video titled “Pakhandi Baba ki Kartut” on YouTube, reported the news portal The Economic Times on November 21, 2023.
The Dhyan Foundation also filed a contempt plea on YouTube in October 2022. The NGO alleged that Google was intentionally ignoring court orders and claimed that the entertainment platform was delaying the process, which tarnished the reputation of the NGO and its founder, according to the report.
They also alleged that the YouTube video “Pakhandi Baba ki Kartut” is accessible outside India despite the court's removal order.
YouTube, in response to the order, cited immunity as an intermediary under the Information Technology (IT) Act and claimed that the defamation allegation does not fall under the categories of content listed in Section 69-A of the Act, reported Moneycontrol.
The court rejected the claims and clarified further that the IT ACT does not restrict criminal courts from intervening in such cases. The next hearing for this case is scheduled for January 3, 2025, reported the news portal Business Today.
Google's CCI Case
Mint reported earlier that tech giant Google is under investigation by the Competition Commission of India (CCI) after a complaint from the gaming platform WinZO.
Google denied the allegations in its response to CCI’s queries, according to an official statement. The gaming platform alleged that users access their website for sideloading, and then, on Android devices, a disclaimer or malware warning was displayed. They claimed that this warning hurt the company's reputation, resulting in a loss of business.