HC to hear Google, Facebook pleas on Jan 23

The pleas of Google India and social networking site Facebook, challenging a trial court summons to them for allegedly webcasting objectionable material, would be taken up for hearing by the Delhi High Court on January 23.

Justice Suresh Kait, who was to hear the arguments on behalf of the two websites and the complainant today, deferred the case to January 23.

Earlier, Google India, which along with 20 websites, is facing criminal case for allegedly hosting objectionable materials, told the court that blocking them was not an option as a democratic India does not have a "totalitarian" regime like China.

Justice Kait had, during last hearing, warned the two websites that they can be "blocked" here as well like they have been in China if they fail to devise a mechanism to check and remove objectionable material from their web pages.

A lower court had on December 23 issued summons to 21 websites for allegedly committing offences of criminal conspiracy, sale of obscene books and sale of obscene objects to young persons.

Earlier, the Centre had filed a report in the lower court saying there was sufficient material to proceed against 21 websites for alleged offences of promoting enmity between classes and causing prejudice to national integration.

Out of 21 websites, Google India and Facebook India have moved the high court against the magistrate's order saying the summons be quashed as they did not commit any offence.

Google India has sought discharge from the case saying it was not responsible for postings of "obscene, objectionable and defamatory" articles, which cannot be "filtered" or "monitored" either.