While Bollywood actor Abhishek Bachchan hasn't made an official comment regarding the case of fake news about his 11-year-old daughter Aaradhya, his friend Kunal Kapoor reacted to it online.
As the Delhi High Court on Thursday restrained nine entities running YouTube channels from sharing on their platforms any content related to the health or physical condition of Aaradhya, Kapoor hailed the verdict on social media.
“This is a solid and strong step by Abhishek Bachchan,” he wrote on Twitter. “I’m sure this wil set a precedent. People need to be held accountable for misinformation they put out.”
After reviewing the detailed submissions, Justice C Harishankar issued summons to Google LLC and several entities operating channels on YouTube. The bench, while issuing interim directions, said Google LLC is duty-bound in law to ensure strict compliance with the entire statutory regime relating to intermediaries with which it is governed which includes IT Rules 2021.
The bench also directed the Indian union government, through the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, to block access to content uploaded by defendants — Bollywood Time, Bollywood Chingari, Bolly Station HD, Bollywood Station, Bollywood Shine, Bolly Pakora, Bolly Samosa, Bolly ocean and Hollywood Stars — as well as to any other similar videos or clips containing similar content on the plaintiff bringing it to their notice.
Court said if the plaintiff (Abhishek Bachchan) brings to Google’s notice any other video uploaded on the YouTube platform, pertaining to the physical health of Aaradhya, it will immediately proceed to take down the said URL.
The suit said videos circulated on various entities operating channels on YouTube, are absolutely false.
The defendants haven’t obtained any consent nor have any right or license to use the plaintiffs’ images or provide news to the public regarding Aaradhya’s health or other aspects of the personal and private life of the plaintiff and other members of the Bachchan family. The suit stated that it was being filed on account of the violation of the right to privacy of the plaintiffs, especially the plaintiff (Aaradhya Bachchan) who is a minor child, aged just 11, and whose mental and physical well-being stands to suffer grave harm if such videos and content continue to be accessible to the public.
The plaintiff (Aaradhya Bachchan) is in good health, has not been hospitalised, and was very much in public events with her mother, at the time of the creation or uploading of such videos, the suit said.
