The Delhi High Court on Thursday directed various entities operating YouTube channels to immediately remove/take down all video/images/identical content spreading false information about Aaradhya Bachchan’s health. Aaradhya, the granddaughter of Amitabh Bachchan and Jaya Bachchan and the daughter of actors Abhishek Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, had approached the court through counsel in the case.
The Court of Justice C Harishankar also stated that every child, celebrity or not, is entitled to be treated with honour and respect. The dissemination of false information about a child, particularly regarding physical and mental health, is illegal. After reviewing the detailed submissions, Justice C Harishankar issued notices to Google LLC and several entities operating YouTube channels. The bench stated in its interim orders that Google LLC is legally obligated to ensure strict compliance with the entire statutory regime governing intermediaries, which includes IT Rules 2021.
The court also ordered the Centre government, through the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (Meity), to disable access to content uploaded by defendants naming Bollywood Time, Bollywood Chingari, Bolly Station HD, Bollywood Station, Bollywood Shine, Bolly Pakora, Bolly Samosa, Bolly Ocean, and Hollywood Stars, as well as any other similar videos or clips containing similar content on the plaintiff bringing it to their attention.
The court also stated that if the plaintiff (Abhishek Bachchan) brings to Google’s attention any other video uploaded on the YouTube platform dealing with Aaradhya’s physical health, Google will immediately remove the URL. While issuing directions on the plaintiffs’ (Abhishek Bachchan and Aaradhya Bachchan) interim application, the court states that there is a prima facie case in favour of the plaintiffs and against the defendants, justifying the grant of ad interim relief.
Dayan Krishnan, who appeared on behalf of the Bachchans, claimed that in the age of social media, the reputation of a public figure has become child’s play, causing a child to suffer.
Abhishek and his 11-year-old daughter Aaradhya filed a complaint in the Delhi High Court against various entities operating YouTube channels for allegedly using videos and images of Bachchan family members and spreading false information about Aaradhya’s health. According to the complaint, videos circulated on various entities operating channels on YouTube are completely false.
The suit stated that it is being filed due to a violation of the plaintiff’s right to privacy, particularly Aaradhya, a minor child of only 11 years of age, whose mental and physical well-being stands to suffer grave harm if such videos and content remain accessible to the public. According to the lawsuit, 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.