According to a report, the Delhi High Court has directed Telegram within two weeks to disclose details of channels on the messaging app involved in sharing content in violation of copyright laws under sealed cover. While the High Court has directed the messaging service to provide details of channel operators, including their mobile numbers and IP addresses, an organization cannot exercise its right to privacy and freedom of speech to escape the consequences of legal action. .
Observing that if the identity of the channel operator is not disclosed, the plaintiffs will be rendered without remedy to recover damages for the “illegal” sharing of educational content under “masked” identities on Telegram, the Delhi High Court directed Telegram to provide details of the operators. According to a report by PTI.
According to the report, Justice Pratibha M Singh also observed that the messaging platform’s reliance on right to freedom of speech and right to privacy was “wholly inappropriate” in the facts and circumstances of the case.
While Telegram submitted that it was not bound to disclose users’ details as it was an intermediary under the IT Act, the court observed that the provisions of the Act did not interfere with Telegram’s duty to take all effective steps to protect intellectual property rights.
The court also noted that because the channel was “mushrooming” on a messaging service with servers in Singapore, disabling or removing content was not enough to deal with the channel.
