Overview
- The Delhi High Court, which issued notices on Wednesday, directed Google, Apple and CERT-In to act against offending apps and file an action-taken report before a July 17 hearing.
- The judges said app-store operators must enforce the 2021 Intermediary Rules by vetting apps at upload, not only after complaints, since the rules require due diligence and compliance systems in India.
- The PIL by Rubika Thapa alleges certain live-streaming and chat apps host explicit nudity and are used for trafficking, prostitution, extortion using deepfakes and other crimes in violation of the IT Act and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
- Google’s counsel said the Play Store has a takedown process for reported apps, while the Union government’s ASG Chetan Sharma urged tougher accountability for intermediaries.
- The petition says many named apps operate from servers in the United States, Turkey, Japan, Russia and China, which complicates enforcement in India and exposes children and teens to harmful content.