Amitabh Bachchan's granddaughter Aaradhya Bachchan has moved the Delhi High Court against a YouTube tabloid for reporting fake news about her mental health.
Justice C Hari Shankar, restrained the YouTube channels along with their associates from disseminating or further transmitting the videos identified in the plaint.
"Defendants 1-9 are also restrained from creating publishing, uploading or disseminating of any videos which are identical or similar in content to the videos forming subject matter of the aforesaid URLs. It is clarified that this would encompass all videos that deal with the physical condition of the plaintiff. In other words, Defendants are completely restrained from disseminating on any platform available across the internet relating to the mental or physical health of the plaintiff."
Google LLC and the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (Grievance Cell) have also been made parties in the case.
"On the plaintiff bringing to their notice any other videos clip uploaded on its platform dealing with physical health and wellbeing of the plaintiff, google will take immediate steps to take those down."
The court also ordered the Central government to block access to all the content as well as to any other similar videos or clips containing similar content.
"Every child is entitled to be treated with honour and respect whether he/she is child of celebrity or a commoner. Circulating information with respect to mental and physical health of child is completely impermissible in law."
During the hearing, Justice Shankar came down upon the streaming platform for what it considered to be omission in carrying out its responsibility by allowing such false information to be disseminated through its platform.
The court further remarked that the platform cannot get away by saying that it is merely an intermediary and not putting up such videos.
"You are providing a facility to misinform the public. It's like saying the Times of India says that I am only providing paper and ink and you can write anything on the paper. You are providing a platform on which misleading information is being provided to the public. How can this be tolerated," the bench asked.
It said that YouTube should have a policy in place to tackle such videos.
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