Google, Facebook comply with court order to remove objectionable content

Internet giant Google and social networking site Facebook have complied with an Indian court order and removed "objectionable" material after a Delhi court threatened to block sites that fail to crack down on "defamatory articles."

Facebook India today reported to the court that it has removed objectionable content from its website, while Google India told that it has removed certain web pages on which objections were raised by petitioner Mufti Aizaz Arshad Kazmi.

In a short statement, Google said, "This step is in accordance with Google's longstanding policy of responding to court orders."

Issuing orders on a private complaint, a Delhi court in 24 December 2011, directed 21 social networking site hosts, including Facebook, Microsoft, Google, Yahoo and YouTube, to remove all "anti-religious" or "anti-social" content and file compliance report by 6 February 2012. (See: Court orders Facebook, Google, others to remove hurtful content)

At the Delhi Court today, Google and Facebook filed their compliance report, while Yahoo and Microsoft told the court that no action should be taken against them since there is no cause of action against them in the case.

The judge gave the companies 15 more days to file a detailed report on the steps they had taken to block offensive content. When asked for extra time, the judge refused and said that these sites did not deserve any more time.