Supreme Court slaps fine of Rs 25,000 on man for seeking compensation of Rs 75 lakh from YouTube for explicit ads

The Supreme Court of India has slapped a fine of Rs 25,000 on a petitioner who had sought compensation of Rs 75 lakh from Google India for sexually explicit advertisements shown on YouTube. The petitioner held the advertisement on YouTube platform responsible for his failure in cracking Madhya Pradesh Police Exam.

A SC bench headed by Justice SK Kaul told the petitioner that his petition was atrocious and he could have chosen not to view certain advertisements that he perceived as vulgar/ explicit. The petitioner was initially about to be slapped with Rs 1 lakh fine. However, as the petitioner apologised to the bench he was fined Rs 25,000.

“One of the most atrocious petitions filed by the petitioner stating that while preparing for MP Police exams, he subscribed to YouTube where there were sexual advertisements. He sought notice to YouTube and a ban on nudity in ads and Rs 75 lakh compensation. If you do not like the ad, do not watch it,” said the bench.

When it comes to YouTube ads, it totally depends on the type of content you are browsing or watching. Ads are also related to the likes and tastes of the user. While most of the Ads can be skipped, there are some ads which cannot be skipped. Users can always suggest Google/ YouTube about their preferences, so that they are not bothered about it.