The Madras HC has directed Google LLC and YouTube to appear before it in the PIL which deals with linking the online identity of users with Aadhaar or other government authorised ID proof, reports Live Law. The PIL also demanded making social media companies duty-bound to assist probe agencies in criminal matters, especially cyber crimes. However, the Madras HC has served notice to Google India, which is a subsidiary of Google LLC, and YouTube. Justice S Manikumar refused to grant Google India's request that a fresh notice be issued to YouTube and its parent company Google LLC. The court was of the view that issuing fresh notice would delay the disposal of the writ petition. It directed Google India, a subsidiary of Google LLC, to send a copy of the affidavit and orders to YouTube and Google LLC and ask them to enter appearance. What was the PIL about? The bench of Justice Manikumar and Justice Subramonium Prasad was hearing a petition moved by Antony Clement Rubin seeking directions to the government to make the linking of Aadhaar or any government authorized ID proof mandatory for authentication while creating email and other social media accounts. Rubin’s counsel SV Pravin Rathinam argued that the linking of a government-issued ID proof to create accounts on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and Twitter or utility accounts like PayTM, Uber, Ola, Gmail, Yahoo! and Hotmail would help in tackling rising incidents of cyber crime, cyber defamations and cyber stalking and to protect the innocent "victimized E-Citizens of…
