The Delhi High Court on Wednesday (May 13, 2026) asked Google and Apple to crack down on the spread of obscene pornographic content through mobile apps. | Photo credit: Reuters
The Delhi High Court on Wednesday (May 13, 2026) asked Google and Apple to crack down on the dissemination of obscene pornographic content through mobile applications hosted on their online platforms.
A bench of Chief Justice DK Upadhyay and Justice Tejas Karia said that in the current legal framework, social media intermediaries have to play the “most vital role”. It also asked the Centre’s Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In) to check the spread of such content.
The court was hearing Rubik Thap’s petition against the hosting of mobile applications offering vulgar and pornographic content on platforms operated by Google and Apple.
“We cannot allow an entire generation of the country to be destroyed. We understand all kinds of freedom under Article 19 (of the Constitution), but that does not mean we allow (spreading vulgar content),” the court said orally.
“We expect that in view of the averments in the plaint, respondent Nos. 2, 3 and 4 (Google LLC, Apple Inc. and Indian Computer Emergency Response Team) will take strict action to ensure that such dissemination of videos is immediately checked and that the IT Rules 2021 are followed in letter and spirit,” the court ordered.
The court also issued notices on the petition to the central government, Google LLC, Apple and CERT-In and asked the platforms to report on the action taken.
The plea emphasized that the problematic mobile apps were easily accessible to children and made millions of dollars running them.
‘Rules Broken’
Additional Solicitor General Chetan Sharma said the menace needs to be curbed and called for greater accountability on online platforms.
The petitioner said that several non-Indian mobile apps are hosting extremely “vulgar live streams” with the intention of attracting and retaining users, in apparent violation of the Information Technology Act, 2000 and various provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
The lawsuit, filed through lawyer Lalita Valecha, added that Google and Apple were “significant social media intermediaries” and grossly breached their due diligence obligations under the Information Technology (Guidelines for Intermediaries and Digital Media Code of Conduct) Rules 2021.
“They not only host but actively promote these apps, thereby becoming constructive accomplices in illegal activities and exposing a large and vulnerable section of the Indian population, especially the youth and adolescents, to morally and psychologically harmful content,” the suit alleged.
Published – 13 May 2026 22:55 IST
