Court orders Facebook and YouTube to ban these videos

New Delhi, February 26: The Delhi High Court has directed Facebook and YouTube to block links to videos defaming Lay's. The court will hear the matter next on 2 May.

“It is pointed out that as per the video the consumption of ‘Lay’s’ chips would result in the death of the consumer," the maker of Pepsi soft drink and Tropicana juice said in the court.

“The grievance of the plaintiff (PepsiCo) is that on February 5 and February 8, it came across as a video posted at a Facebook and YouTube website wherein, the makers of the video an anonymous person has claimed that the potato chips under the brand ‘Lay’s’ is harmful for the consumption as it contains the plastic,” said the order passed last week. “It is pointed out that as per the video the consumption of ‘Lay’s’ chips would result in the death of the consumer.”

The court order further observes that the food and beverage maker argued that the content of the video is baseless and reckless, and without any regard for truth or due care for verification.

The company also cited the licence issued by Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) to further argue that the content of the videos are entirely baseless and mischievous.

“The plaintiff has made out a prima facie case,” said justice Jayant Nath in his two-page interim order and ordered that till the next date of hearing, the defendants (Facebook and YouTube) will take steps to block the URLs and weblinks or any other similar videos which are mentioned by PepsiCo India.