Google removes 95,680 content pieces in July in India: Compliance report
New Delhi, (PTI): Google received 36,934 complaints from users and removed 95,680 pieces of content based on those complaints in July, the tech giant company said in its monthly transparency reports released on Tuesday.
In addition to reports from users, Google also removed 5,76,892 pieces of content in July as a result of automated detection.
The US-based company has made these disclosures as part of compliance with India's IT rules that came into force on May 26.
On Tuesday, Google said it had received 36,934 complaints in July from individual users located in India via designated mechanisms, and the number of removal actions as a result of user complaints was 95,680 - the highest so far.
In June, Google had received 36,265 complaints and removed 83,613 pieces of content as a result of user complaints. It had removed 59,350 pieces of content in April and 71,132 pieces in May.
"Some requests may allege infringement of intellectual property rights, while others claim violation of local laws prohibiting types of content on grounds such as defamation. When we receive complaints regarding content on our platforms, we assess them carefully," Google said on Tuesday.
The content removal was done under several categories, including copyright (94,862), trademark (807), court order (4), circumvention (3), counterfeit (1), graphic sexual content (1), impersonation (1) and other legal requests (1).
Google explained that a single complaint may specify multiple items that potentially relate to the same or different pieces of content, and each unique URL in a specific complaint is considered an individual "item" that is removed.
Under the new IT rules, large digital platforms - with over 5 million users - will have to publish periodic compliance reports every month, mentioning the details of complaints received and action taken thereon.
The report must also include the number of specific communication links or parts of the information that the intermediary has removed or disabled access to in pursuance of any proactive monitoring conducted by using automated tools.
Google's report showed that it had removed 5,76,892 pieces of content in July as a result of automated detection. This number stood at 5,26,866 in June.
The company said for data related to automated detection processes, it has included data where the sender or creator of the content is located in India.
"In order to attribute a location to an individual sender or creator, we use data signals such as location of account creation, IP address at the time of video upload and user phone number, as available. Please note that senders or creators of content may attempt to evade detection through location-concealing mechanisms," it said.
While Google is committed to revealing any bad actors through industry-leading detection tools, reporting based on location attribution should be interpreted as a directional estimate, it added.
The company noted that when it receives complaints regarding content on its platforms, it assesses them carefully.
"There are many reasons we may not have removed content in response to a user complaint. For example, some requests may not be specific enough for us to know what the user wanted us to remove (for example, no URL is listed in the request), or the content has already been removed by the user when we process the complaint," it explained.
A removal action may be taken on a complaint if the content violates Google's Community Guidelines, content policies, or local legal requirements, while for automated detection processes, a removal action is taken if content violates its Community Guidelines or content policies, it added.
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Karnataka: SP’s gunman among two arrested for extorting money from rice smuggler
Ballari (Karnataka) (PTI): An armed police constable serving as the district superintendent of police’s personal gunman, along with his accomplice, was arrested for allegedly extorting money from a rice smuggler, police said on Friday.
Devaraj, who had been serving as the SP’s gunman for the past four and a half years, was identified as the mastermind behind the incident.
Following an investigation, Devaraj and his accomplice Sairam were arrested on May 6, while efforts are underway to nab a third accused, Gadilinga, a practising advocate in Ballari, who is absconding, police said.
The matter came to light after a complaint was filed by Sharabappa, a habitual offender allegedly involved in illegal rice transport, they added.
According to police, the incident occurred on the intervening night of April 27 and 28, when a group of masked men intercepted Sharabappa’s rice-laden vehicles near the Moka forest area.
The accused allegedly introduced themselves as members of an “SP squad”, threatened to seize the vehicles and file criminal cases, and demanded money to avoid legal action.
Police said the accused initially demanded Rs 5 lakh and later extorted around Rs 3 lakh from the complainant.
Investigation revealed that Devaraj was the main person involved in demanding and collecting the money, while Sairam and Gadilinga were also involved in the offence. Sairam was allegedly involved in similar activities earlier as well.
Devaraj and Sairam were arrested under Sections 308(2) (extortion) and 3(5) (common intention) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
Police also seized the extorted cash, the four-wheeler, and mobile phones allegedly used in the crime. Efforts are underway to trace Gadilinga.
Addressing a press conference, Ballari Superintendent of Police Suman D Pennekar described the incident as a serious offence that has tarnished the image of the police department.
"There is no official ‘SP squad’ or ‘DSP squad’ operating in the district. Such labels are often misused by impostors or corrupt individuals to commit extortion," the SP clarified.
She said no involvement of other police officers has been found so far.
Departmental proceedings have been initiated against Devaraj, and suspension proceedings are underway. The SP added that strict action will be taken against anyone involved in such offences.
Police said Sharabappa, the complainant, is a known habitual offender involved in illegal rice smuggling, and several cases have already been registered against him in the Moka and Peddihalli areas. A separate case has also been registered against him in connection with rice smuggling on the night of the incident.
Authorities are also exploring the possibility of initiating externment proceedings against him under applicable legal provisions.
The SP urged the public to report any extortion attempts by persons claiming to be part of an “SP squad”, assuring that the identity of informants will be kept confidential.
