December,19,2016:
When an online chat group is created, its administrator can only advise its members to refrain from posting the objectionable content, says High Court.
Delhi High Court has expounded that the administrators of the WhatsApp, Telegram and the other similar social networking services could not be held guilty of defamation if members of the group post the libellous and obscene messages.
High Court's single-judge bench of Justice Rajiv Sahai Endlaw while dismissing the defamation petition filed against the Goup Aministrator.
Justice Endlaw enunciated that, “I am unable to understand as to how administrator of the group could be held liable for defamation, even if any, by statements which have been made by a member of the group.
Justice Endlaw further pointed out that the group administrators are not required to, or empowered to, filter all messages before they are posted on the group.
High Court was hearing a defamation suit filed which was filed against administrator of a chat group, Vishal Dubey wherein various buyers of a housing project in Haryana’s Gurugram district had posted messages on the group, venting their grievances against the delay in getting possession of their flats specially targeting Ashish Bhalla who was earlier associated with the project.
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