We have removed objectionable contents: Google Inc tells court

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The US-based search engine Google Inc on Thursday told a Delhi court that that it has already removed alleged objectionable contents from its web posts as it was aware of its responsibility as a service provider.

The search engine, in a written statement filed before Administrative Civil Judge Praveen Singh, denied the allegation that it projected Indian culture in poor light.

The statement said that Google Inc was aware of its responsibilities as a service provider and has a system to ensure that 'rights and interests' of all relevant parties were well protected.

The US-based firm said the alleged objectionable contents were removed after its Indian subsidiary Google India brought them to the notice of the service provider.

Every product offered is governed by the policies aimed at striking a proper balance between enabling free speech and expression and maintaining a responsible and safe community, the company told the court.

Seeking dismissal of civil suit, Google Inc said that the case against it was filed in complete disregard of immunity given to a service provider under the Information Technology Act for any third party content linked or hosted by it.

Besides Google Inc, Orkut and You-tube today also filed their written submissions in the court. Earlier, Facebook, Yahoo India and Microsoft, accused of hosting objectionable contents, had told the court that neither a case was made out against them nor there was any cause of action.

The court had on December 20 last year, in a ex-parte order, issued summons to 22 social networking websites asking them to remove 'anti-religious' or 'anti-social' contents from their sites.

The court had also asked the websites to file the compliance reports in pursuance of the direction to remove the objectionable contents in the form of photographs, videos or texts which might hurt religious sentiments. It had on December 24 set February 6 as deadline for the websites.

The court's order had come amid a raging controversy over monitoring the content on Internet and of those websites depending on user generated contents, which arose after Union Telecommunications Minister Kapil Sibal had asked the social networking websites to 'screen' the contents.

The websites which have been asked to remove objectionable contents include Facebook India, Google India Pvt Ltd, Google Orkut, Youtube, Blogspot, Microsoft India Pvt Ltd, Microsoft, Zombie Time, Exboii, Boardreader, IMC India, My Lot, Shyni Blog and Topix.