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Google blocks Dhruv Rathee video in India after panel order
Google told the Delhi High Court on Tuesday that it has blocked a YouTube video by influencer Dhruv Rathee in India, following a directive from the Centre's grievance appellate committee. The petitioner,…
The Story in Brief
Google told the Delhi High Court on Tuesday that it has blocked a YouTube video by influencer Dhruv Rathee in India, following a directive from the Centre's grievance appellate committee. The petitioner, advocate Amita Sachdeva, had sought compliance, arguing the video contained false and provocative statements against Lord Ram, Lord Krishna, and Goddess Sita. The court noted the issue of global blocking is pending before a division bench.
Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma observed that Google had done what it could for now and adjourned the hearing to September 3. Sachdeva claimed the video was uploaded on March 21 and had garnered millions of views, but Google said it blocked access in India after the committee's July 15 directive.
The Indian Opinion
The court rightly noted Google is complying as far as India is concerned, but the global-blocking question will test how far platform accountability goes. Some narratives paint this as a free-speech crackdown, while others demand global takedowns for alleged hate speech. The real test is whether the division bench draws a workable line between religious sentiment and legitimate criticism. Can India demand a global block without becoming a template for other regimes to censor inconvenient speech? That is the question the court must answer.
Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
