NGO starts petition against Google Play
Accusing Google of allowing sexually explicit content on its Android platform Playstore, the advocacy group for women, Centre for Social Research (CSR), started a petition against the Internet giant late on Thursday. CSR has demanded that Google segregate such content to a separate “adult” section by the end of June, failing which, it would initiate legal action.
Speaking to The Asian Age, CSR, head of media and communication division Amitabh Kumar, who started the petition, said, “On March 15, I came across such content popping up on my Android smartphone. I was flabbergasted on realising that Google is doing nothing to keep a tab on such explicit material, contrary to its claims that it verifies contents. It even charges $25 from a developer to upload a single app.” The petition has questioned Google’s Play policies, which on the subject of “sexually explicit material”, clearly states, “Google doesn’t allow content that contains nudity, graphic sex acts, or sexually explicit material.”
“We have sent letters via email and post to Google India’s head office in Gurgaon, as well as its headquarters in California, US. We will be getting in touch with them again on June 20, and if they fail to segregate the contents by then, we will initiate legal proceedings by July,” said Mr Kumar.
Cyber expert and board member of Centre’s national security database on cyber laws, advocate Prashant Mali, said, “If it is proven that Google is personally and knowingly responsible fro spreading pornography, as is restricted by Indian laws, then legal action can be taken against Google.”
When this newspaper tried to get in touch with Google, an official directed this correspondent to Google India head Rajan Anandan’s personal assistant, who did not respond, while a corporate official in Gurgaon said, “We are not authorised to transfer calls to the concerned person.”
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