"Absence of pre-screening and control of the intermediaries enable the users to successfully upload any material. In this process, fake, harmful, even hate speeches are uploaded," the Andhra Pradesh High Court said while ordering content takedowns across four major social media platforms on November 1, according to LiveLaw. “Judge Bashing" and using derogatory and contemptuous language against judges has become a favourite pass time of some people," the court added. The suo moto contempt proceedings that the court had reportedly initiated last year against 49 individuals, involves an MP and MLA from the YSRCP party along with other supporters of the party. The court has now directed Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube to take down multiple posts as well as block a YouTube channel called 'Panch Prabhakar' for criticising its judges. This is not the first time that a takedown order has been issued by a court to social media platforms in contempt proceedings. However, the issue does distinguish itself by the number of individuals the proceedings were initiated against and that an entire YouTube channel has been ordered to be blocked. MediaNama could not access the channel at the time of publishing this report. The case, in brief According to the Times of India, the High Court took up the matter in May 2020, after it received several mails and found several posts on social media with videos attributing “motives, caste bias and corruption allegations” against judges of the Supreme Court and the AP High Court for their orders…
