The Delhi High Court has directed tech giants Google and Apple to take strict action against mobile applications allegedly promoting pornography, prostitution and other unlawful activities through their app stores.
As per media reports, public interest litigation filed by Rubika Thapa, a Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya and Justice Tejas Karia observed that intermediaries cannot remain passive and must exercise due diligence even at the stage of app uploads. The court remarked that it “cannot permit the whole generation of the country to be ruined” by unchecked dissemination of obscene content online.
The Bench directed Google, Apple and the Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In) to immediately check the circulation of such applications and ensure compliance with the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021.
According to the petition, several applications available on the Google Play Store and Apple App Store were allegedly facilitating or promoting activities linked to pornography, trafficking, prostitution, substance abuse and organised crime. The plea also claimed that major intermediaries had failed in their due diligence obligations under the IT Rules.
Reports also suggest that during the hearing, the court stressed that social media intermediaries have a “vital role” in preventing the spread of obscene material and cannot wait for complaints before acting. Instead, platforms must proactively scrutinise content at the time of listing applications on their stores.
The matter is expected to be heard next in July 2026, when the court will review the action taken by the concerned platforms and authorities.
