Centre: Google, Facebook asked to check offensive content

Centre showed concern over objectionable content on social networking sites,like Google, Facebook,Yahoo etc" I suggested that these platforms should evolve a mechanism 

on their own to ensure that such contents are removed as soon as they get to know of it... I have told them that this cannot go on. I believe that no reasonable person, aware of the sensibilities of a large section of the communities in this country, would wish to see this in the public domain," Communications and IT Minister Kapil Sibal told reporters in New Delhi.

 Sibal said, "This government does not believe in either directly or indirectly interfering in the freedom of the press but religious sentiments should not be allowed to be hurt."

The content posted on some of the sites, the minister said, was so offensive that it would hurt the religious sentiments of a large section of communities in the country.
These contents would also offend any reasonable person looking at those images.
Echoeing the same sentiment, Congress Spokesperson Abhishek Manu Singhvi said the intention is not to censor such content, but to regulate web content.

Sibal further said that internet firms were asked in September to find ways to handle the objectionable content within four weeks, but they did not respond despite repeated reminders.

In early November, the government had prepared the framework for a code of conduct for handling objectionable information. The issue was also discussed with Microsoft, Yahoo, Google and Facebook, he said.Internet firms have "backtracked" in giving written a response to the framework prepared by the government, Sibal said.

"Orally, they had given consent to some of the clauses, but in writing, they backtracked. They said they cannot do anything. They also suggested that community standards of the US will apply here."

Sibal, however, cited US Supreme Court judgements that said community standards differ in the US from place to place.