Court slams Google and directs it to remove fake content on Aaradhya Bachchan from YouTube

The court remarked that spreading misinformation about a child of tender age reflects “morbid perversity” and “complete apathy in the interests of the child”.

• Mohnish Singh
• 20 April, 2023

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By: Mohnish Singh

The Delhi High Court on Thursday directed various entities operating channels on YouTube to immediately remove all the videos, images, and identical content spreading fake news about the health of Aaradhya Bachchan.

The 11-year-old, who is the daughter of Bollywood actors Aishwarya Rai and Abhishek Bachchan, and granddaughter of Amitabh Bachchan and Jaya Bachchan, has reportedly moved Delhi High Court against YouTube channels for reporting fake news about her health.

The court has restrained nine YouTube channels and completely restricted them from creating, publishing, uploading, or sharing any content on any public platform relating to Aaradhya’s state of health or physical condition.

The HC has directed Google LLC to immediately proceed to delist and deactivate certain videos which claimed that Aaradhya Bachchan was “critically ill” and “no more”.

The court, in the interim order, asked Google to inform the plaintiff about the details of the uploaders in question and clarified that similar videos, whenever brought to Google’s notice, shall also be taken down.

“Defendants 1 to 9 (YouTube channels) are completely restrained from publishing, sharing, and disseminating any content on any public platform across the net relating to the state of health or physical condition of the plaintiff,” ordered the court.

“Defendant no 10 (Google) will immediately delist and deactivate all videos mentioned in the plea,” it said.

The court remarked that spreading misinformation about a child of tender age reflects “morbid perversity” and “complete apathy in the interests of the child”.

The court further asked Google to file a response stating in detail its policy on dealing with such objectionable content on its YouTube platform in view of intermediary rules.

It also directed the Centre to block access to the content in question and said Google was duty-bound to follow the legal framework for intermediaries.

(With inputs from PTI)