Delhi HC to hear Google, Facebook petitions today

New Delhi: The Delhi High Court will on Monday hear petitions filed by Facebook and Google in the objectionable content case.

The websites had challenged a trial court summons for allegedly webcasting objectionable material.

The Delhi High Court on January 19 had adjourned the case against Google and Facebook till February 2.

Google and Facebook are among 21 companies that have been asked to develop a mechanism to block objectionable material, after a private petitioner took the websites to court over images deemed offensive to Hindus, Muslims and Christians.

Google India and Facebook India earlier told the high court that it was impossible for them to control content with billions of people accessing the websites.

The two companies had earlier requested the court not to allow the suppression of the right to freedom of speech as democratic India was not totalitarian China.