New Delhi, Apr 21 (PTI) The Delhi High Court has directed Google, Facebook and X to remove links to a video clip of a woman river rafting after she claimed it was uploaded without consent leading to trolling and harassment.

Justice Sachin Datta directed online platforms Google, Facebook and X, among others, to take steps to prevent the publication of the video clip uploaded by a rafting instructor and the travel agency with whom he works in Rishikesh.

The court on April 16 issued notices to the Centre, the platforms, the instructor and the travel agency for their responses on the woman’s plea.

The court also directed the Centre to take requisite action in view of the relevant rules and regulations and posted the hearing on July 22.

“In the meantime, considering the aforesaid circumstances, the respondents 2 to 5 (social media platforms) are directed to remove the URLs from which the video concerned is being published/circulated. The description of the URLs has been set out in the memo of parties,” the court said.

They were also directed to take necessary steps to prevent the publication of the video clip.

The woman alleged breach of her right to privacy due to circulation of the video on several online platforms without her consent and knowledge.

She said she had gone to Rishikesh for a vacation in March 2025 and booked the travel agency for the adventure sport of river rafting.

On the suggestion of the rafting instructor, she availed an extra service of recording her rafting experience through a GoPro camera.

The plea said the instructor recorded the video of the rafters including the petitioner and in one of the videos, she could be seen in a “completely panic-stricken” condition, which “does not portray her in a good light”.

As a result, she said she had “fallen prey to cyber abuse, cyber bullying, threat, hatred, trolling and harassment”.

Further, the plea said her personal freedom, peace, safety and security were severely jeopardised.

The video, it said, was meant only for the petitioner’s personal use but the instructor and the travel agency released it to third parties without her knowledge and consent.

The plea sought the court to issue directions to prevent further harassment of the woman and ensure her right to privacy was protected. PTI SKV SKV AMK AMK