NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court on Wednesday directed global tech giants Google and Apple to strictly act against the dissemination of pornographic content through mobile applications hosted on their platforms, saying that an entire generation cannot be permitted to be “ruined”.
A bench of Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya and Justice Tejas Karia passed the order while observing that intermediaries like Google and Apple were obligated to act against the applications available on their respective platforms Play Store and App Store not only when they are flagged, but right from the start.
“The intermediaries have to play the most vital role not only on receiving any such complaint but also they have to exercise due diligence at the time of permitting such applications being uploaded through them,” the bench said.
During the hearing, the bench noted the government’s submission that “this kind of menace should be curbed by judicial order, so the intermediaries do something”.
The bench was hearing a PIL, which claimed that several apps were available on Play Store and App Store, which permitted pornographic content, immoral trafficking, substance abuse, illegal arms trade and organised crime.
The bench directed Google, Apple, as well as the Centre to file an action taken report by the next date of hearing. The court will further hear the matter in July.