Indian govt asks Google, Facebook to self-regulate content

New Delhi, Dec 6 (PTI) Concerned over objectionable content on social networking sites, the Indian government today made it clear that it cannot allow this to go on and has asked Internet firms like Google and Facebook to fall in line. India's Communications and IT Minister Kapil Sibal told reporters here, "I suggested that these platforms should evolve a mechanism on their own to ensure that such contents are removed as soon as they get to know of it... I have told them that this cannot go on." The content posted on some of the sites, the minister said, was so offensive that it would hurt the religious sentiments of a large section of communities in the country. These contents would also offend any reasonable person looking at those images. "I believe that no reasonable person, aware of the sensibilities of a large section of the communities in this country, would wish to see these in the public domain," he added. Asking these firms to evolve a mechanism and come back with a solution, Sibal said, "This government does not believe in either directly or indirectly interfering in the freedom of the press." Sibal further said that internet firms were asked in September to find ways to handle the objectionable content within four weeks, but they did not respond despite repeated reminders. In early November, the government had prepared the framework for a code of conduct for handling objectionable information. The issue was also discussed with Microsoft, Yahoo, Google and Facebook, he said. Internet firms have "backtracked" in giving a written response to the framework prepared by the government, Sibal said. "Orally, they had given consent to some of the clauses, but in writing, they backtracked. They said they cannot do anything. They also suggested that community standards of the US will apply here." Sibal, however, cited US Supreme Court judgements that said community standards differ in the US from place to place. "Even if the US laws were to be applied here, the community standards in India have to be taken into account," he said. Asked about the future course of action, the minister said: "... Whatever step we take now, we will do it after careful consideration." The government will "certainly evolve" guidelines to ensure that such "blasphemous" material is not part of the content on any platform, he said. PTI