IT rules not applicable to search engines: Google claims on case demanding removal of photos from web

New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Wednesday (June 2) heard Google’s petition challenging an earlier decision of a single bench that had directed the tech giant to immediately remove a woman’s private image from the search engine. 

The woman had alleged that the photographs are being shown on the pornographic website on Google without his permission. She had posted her personal photographs on Facebook and Instagram. 

Google had filed a petition to turn the decision in its favour. The double bench of the High Court heard the matter for the first time on June 2, and the next date of hearing is July 27. 

Senior advocate Harish Salve appeared on behalf of Google. He argued in court that Google is a search engine, not a social media. Therefore, the newly launched IT rules don’t apply to it. 

Salve also said in the court that some content may be offensive in India but it is permissible in other countries. Therefore it cannot be removed globally. 

A bench of Chief Justice D N Patel and Justice Jyoti Singh issued notice to the Centre, Delhi government, Internet Service Providers Association of India, Facebook, the pornographic site and the woman, on whose plea the single judge's ruling had come, and sought their responses to Google's plea by July 25.