Can't act against websites for sharing info on Indians with US: SC

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Thursday dismissed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) against nine internet companies for allegedly sharing information of Indian citizens with US intelligence agencies.

Among the nine internet companies are Google, Facebook, Microsoft and Yahoo. The PIL was filed last week to ensure that the rights of internet users are protected.

The apex court said it cannot entertain the petition as Indian agency is not involved in it and allowed the petitioner, former dean of Law Faculty of Delhi University SN Singh, to move any other forum for seeking remedy against Internet companies and the US agency for snooping data resulting in violation of right to privacy.

The bench also said that the court cannot direct Parliament to enact law to safeguard privacy of citizens against such snooping.

In his plea, Singh had alleged that such largescale spying by the US authorities is detrimental to national security and urged the apex court to intervene in the matter.

He had claimed that the Internet companies are sharing information with the foreign authority in "breach" of contract and violation of right to privacy.

Singh had submitted that it is a breach of national security as government's official communications have come under US surveillance as services of private Internet firms are being used by them.

He had sought directions to the Centre to "take urgent steps to safeguard the government's sensitive Internet communications" which are being kept outside India in US servers and are "unlawfully intruded upon by US Intelligence Agencies through US-based Internet companies under secret surveillance program called PRISM".

In his petition, Singh had also sought directions restraining the government and its officials from using US-based Internet companies for official communication and that all such companies, which are doing business in India, must establish their servers here so that they can be regulated as per Indian laws.

The Centre had earlier on June 11 expressed surprise and concern over the snooping and said it will seek information and details from the US over reports that India was the fifth most tracked country by the American intelligence which used a secret data-mining programme to monitor worldwide Internet data.

With Additional Inputs From PTI