Madras High Court Orders Ban on Websites Hosting Private Images of Woman Advocate

Fast Summary:

• Teh Madras High Court directed the Union Ministry of Electronics and Details Technology (MeitY) to block all websites displaying private images and videos of a woman advocate.
• The content was recorded by her male partner without her knowledge during their college days and later circulated online, including on social media platforms and porn sites.
• Justice N. Anand Venkatesh ordered full blocking of such websites as removing specific objectionable content alone was deemed technically unfeasible by MeitY senior panel counsel.
• MeitY has also communicated with social media intermediaries through their nodal officers, requesting immediate removal of the offending content involving the petitioner.
• Urgency in addressing this case led to early hearings beyond initially scheduled dates, following an urgent depiction by government senior panel counsel on behalf of the victim’s advocate.

Indian Opinion Analysis:
The directives issued by the Madras high Court underscore India’s increasing focus on protecting individual privacy in digital spaces amid rapidly evolving cyber threats. This case highlights how malicious misuse of technology can have devastating consequences for individuals, further raising questions about consent and safeguards against non-consensual dissemination online.

While MeitY’s inability to selectively remove specific objectionable material due to technical constraints demonstrates existing challenges for governance in cyberspace, blocking entire websites raises concerns about balancing privacy protection with freedom on digital platforms-a nuanced debate policymakers must address comprehensively going forward.

Read more at The Hindu