Aaradhya Bachchan court case: Delhi court restrains YouTube channel from publishing fake content on her health

The Delhi High Court has ordered YouTube to remove any fake news related to Aaradhya Bachchan, granddaughter of Amitabh Bachchan, from its platform. The 11-year-old daughter of Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Abhishek Bachchan filed a petition against a YouTube tabloid for reporting ‘fake news’ about her health. The high court criticized the video-sharing platform for spreading misleading content and questioned whether it had policies in place to prevent such content from being posted.

The court summoned Google and all YouTube platforms made parties in the petition and asked whether they had changed their policies according to the amendment in the IT rules. 

The court emphasized that every child has the right to live with respect and dignity and it is the platform's responsibility to stop fake news. The court also stated that spreading misinformation about a child of tender age reflects "morbid perversity" and "complete apathy in the interests of the child".

The court directed Google to file a response stating its policy on dealing with such objectionable content on its YouTube platform in view of intermediary rules. It also directed the Centre to block access to the content in question and said Google was duty-bound to follow the legal framework for intermediaries. The Delhi High Court's order highlights the importance of preventing the spread of fake news and misinformation, especially when it involves minors.