Delhi High Court issues notice to Instagram, Facebook over content related to Hindu deities

The Delhi High Court on Monday issued notice to social networking platforms like Instagram and others on hearing a petition seeking to remove certain highly objectionable content related to Hindu God and Goddesses on their platforms.

A Bench of Justice Rekha Palli asked the Centre, Instagram and Facebook to file a reply on the petition and listed the matter for further hearing on August 16. The court was hearing a petition filed by Advocate Aditya Singh Deshwal against

“obnoxious” and “objectionable” posts put by some Instagram users which showed abusive language written about Hindu Gods and Goddesses along with a vulgar representation of Hindu gods and goddesses was made in the form of cartoons and graphics.

Advocate Aditya Singh Deshwal has preferred the petition primarily with a grievance that certain users of the social network platform – Instagram, maintained by respondents, have posted certain highly objectionable content on the said platform which ought to be removed at the earliest.

Senior Advocate G Tushar Rao, appearing for the petitioner submitted before the court

that Instagram has failed to comply with the new IT Rules, 2021 in its true sense and notice should be issued by the court to all the Respondents replying on the legal grounds raised in the petition.

Senior Advocate Mukul Rohatgi, appearing on behalf of respondent Instagram and Facebook submitted that the impugned content has already been removed from its platform.

He further submitted that a Grievance Officer, in terms of the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules 2021, has already been appointed by the respondent.