MP HC admits PIL against Facebook, Twitter over objectionable content

Bengaluru: The Madhya Pradesh High Court (Indore bench) on Monday admitted a public interest litigation against social networks Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp and Twitter for hosting obscene, communal, unregulated and legally restricted content on their platforms.

The court issued notices to the Centre and the social media firms, seeking their responses in the plea filed by Maatr Foundation, an Indore-based non-governmental organisation.

The petition, which was filed in January, alleged that social media platforms are perpetrating communal hatred, hate crimes, economic offences, displaying content against religions, gods and goddesses and hosting sexually offensive content that was also accessible to minors.