In New Delhi, India yesterday, a court issued an ex parte restraining order requiring 22 social networking websites to remove videos, text and photos with anti-religious or anti-social content that promote hatred or communal disharmony. PTI reports that the defendants include Facebook, Google and Youtube. The order came in a civil suit filed by Mufti Aijaz Arshad Qasmi and amidst reports that India's Telecommunications Minister had asked the websites to screen their content. Apparently the order covers content that was included on a CD filed in the lawsuit by plaintiff. Defendants are to respond to the court's order by Dec. 24.
UPDATE: Economic Times reports that at the Dec. 24 hearing, the court again ordered removal of anti-religious and anti-social content on 22 social networking websites and directed the companies to file compliance reports by Feb. 6. Only Yahoo India Pvt Ltd and Microsoft appeared a the hearing, and they said they had not yet received a copy of the complaint or the original court order. Counsel for the complainant assured the court that he would provide them with copies.
