Not possible to filter user generated content: Google

Technology giant Google yesterday made its stand clear on the controversy over objectionable content posted on its website and the legal battle it has led to.

NDTV's Shweta Rajpal Kohli quoted Nikesh Arora, senior vice-president of Google as saying that the issue was was not about Google but freedom of expression and about individuals wishing to express themselves over any technology medium whether Google or any other media.

About the government's charge of some extremely objectionable content on the net that needed to be filtered, Arora said that because of some seriosuly bad elements in society did not mean every house in the country needed to be searched every morning.

He added there were laws all over the world and if there was anything objectionable, people who carry it take it down as quickly as possible. This Arora said was being done in the US and in many other parts of the world and seemed to be working.

Google and Facebook are among the 21 companies whose executives would need to present themselves in a lower court in Delhi on 13 March for allegedly hosting obscene and objectionable content (See: Delhi High Court warns Facebook, Google over objectionable content).

Arora said he was hoping there would be a balanced debate around the issues and the right thing would happen.