Google Blocked Dhruv Rathee Video in India Per GAC Order

Google has confirmed to the Delhi High Court that it blocked a video by Indian YouTuber Dhruv Rathee within India. The tech giant stated that the action was taken in compliance with an order from the Grievance Appellate Committee (GAC).

The video in question, titled "Can Hindus Eat BEEF? | Kerala Story 2 EXPOSED | Dhruv Rathee," has been unavailable in India following a legal complaint. Accessing the video without a VPN results in a notice stating, "Video unavailable. This content is not available on this country domain due to a government legal complaint."

The High Court had previously directed the GAC to decide on the removal of the video within 15 days, with its order to be treated as an "imitation to this court." Any disregard for this order would be taken seriously.

The complaint was filed by advocate Amita Sachdeva, who alleged that Rathee's video contained false statements about Hindu deities Ram, Seetha, and Krishna, and was "highly derogatory, inflammatory, and communally sensitive."

GAC is a government-appointed appellate body that hears grievances against decisions by social media intermediaries. Platforms must comply with GAC orders or risk losing safe harbor protections and facing penalties.