Google India on Monday told a trial court that it has removed certain webpages from the internet in compliance with the court's order, which directed Google and 21 other websites to remove the objectionable content in the form of photographs, videos or texts which might hurt religious sentiments.
Facebook India, which also filed its compliance report before additional civil judge Praveen Singh, told the court that it does not control or operate the servers that host the website available at www.facebook.com, which are located in the United States.
The compliance reports were filed in response to the court's December 24, 2011 order directing them and 21 other social network websites to give replies on a civil case filed by a man who has sought removal of certain "anti-religious" or "anti-social" content in the form of photographs, videos or texts which might hurt religious sentiments.
While Facebook and Google India filed their compliance reports, Yahoo! and Microsoft filed applications for deletion of their names from the civil complaint stating that there was no allegation against them of webcasting any objectionable content. After the hearing, the court directed the accused to file compliance report within 15 days from the date of the order while fixing the matter for further arguments on March 1.
The judge also posed a query to the counsel appearing for petitioner Mufti Aijaz Arshad Qasmi as to whether the blog service-providing companies can be made a party to the case for any content posted by the users on the blogs.
During the hearing, Facebook also filed a separate application seeking deletion of its name from the array of the parties, saying, "The content of the suit are wrong and that it is neither a necessary nor a proper party to it." It said it has been impleaded under incorrect description i.e. Facebook as there is no legal entity by this name. "The correct name of Defendant No.1 is Facebook India Online Services Pvt Ltd and not Facebook," it submitted.