Delhi HC directs Google, YouTube channels to take down misleading videos on Aaradhya Bachchan's health

The Delhi High Court has directed several YouTube channels to refrain from publishing false and misleading content about the health of Aaradhya Bachchan, daughter of Bollywood actors Abhishek Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and granddaughter of Amitabh Bachchan.

The court deemed that spreading misinformation about a child’s health was “completely intolerable in law” and reflects “morbid perversity.”

In response to a lawsuit filed by the minor child and her father, the court ordered Google to take down certain videos from its platform that claimed Aaradhya Bachchan was “critically ill” and “no more.”

The court also directed Google to inform the plaintiff about the uploaders in question, and any similar videos reported in the future must also be taken down.

The court ordered the defendants, consisting of nine YouTube channels, to cease publishing, sharing or disseminating any content relating to Aaradhya's health on any public platform across the internet.

Additionally, Google was asked to deactivate and delist all videos mentioned in the plea.

The court stressed that every child has the right to be treated with respect and honour and spreading misinformation about a child’s health is unacceptable. It also directed Google to file a response outlining its policy on handling objectionable content on its YouTube platform in view of intermediary rules.

It issued summons to Google LLC and several entities operating channels on YouTube in the suit filed by Abhishek Bachchan. The court said Google LLC is duty-bound in law to ensure strict compliance with the entire statutory regime relating to intermediate with which it is governed, including the IT Rules, 2021.

The court further ordered the Centre to block access to the content in question and emphasized that Google has a duty to follow the legal framework for intermediaries.