The Kerala High Court has issued an important interim order directing the removal of videos from platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube which allegedly mocked and ridiculed a 14-year-old girl. The girl had shared her opinion about the Malayalam film 'Moonwalk' after watching it at a theatre. Justice N. Nagaresh passed this order while hearing the plea filed by the minor’s mother.
The plea mentioned that several social media users edited and shared the video of the girl’s review with background music, sarcastic voice filters, and even used sexually suggestive or highly insulting language. These edited clips were widely circulated, especially among school students, and eventually brought to the girl's attention by her classmates and teachers.
Read also:- Law Student Urges Kerala High Court to Enforce Animal Birth Control Rules After Stray Dog Bite Incident
"The girl, who was once confident and expressive, became mentally distressed after discovering the online harassment," the petition stated.
The petitioner’s legal team informed the court that multiple complaints had already been made to the police and to the grievance officers of Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. However, no action had been taken, even though Rule 3(2)(b) of the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021 requires such content to be removed within 72 hours.
Read Also:- Kerala High Court Detains MSC Manasa F After Cashew Exporter Sues Over MSC Elsa 3 Shipwreck Loss
The girl reportedly faced serious emotional issues. Her behavior changed drastically after the incident. She became anxious, withdrawn, and even stopped attending school or meeting friends. Her phone usage stopped entirely. She suffered from disturbed sleep, continuous crying, and even lost interest in food and daily activities.
“The child experienced severe psychological stress due to the mocking videos and became fearful of public appearance,” the plea added.
Read Also:- J&K High Court: Intent Essential To Attract IPC Section 354, Mere Use of Force Not Enough
The petitioner was represented by a team of lawyers including Navaneeth N. Nath, Abhirami S., Abdul Latheef P.M., and Gautham Krishna E.J. They requested urgent intervention from the Court to prevent further harm to the child.
The Court was also informed about the specific social media links where the offensive content was shared, including pages and accounts on YouTube like Vyshnav Trolls, Boom Chikka Wah Wah, and MCTROLLEN; Instagram pages like Villan_media2025 and jyot_hish_cutz; and Facebook pages like FilmFaktory and FirstShowReview.
“The High Court directed the social media platforms to act immediately and remove the offensive content from all listed links,” the order read.
Read Also:- Allahabad High Court Dismisses PIL Challenging NEET-UG 2025 Physics Paper, Allows Result Declaration
Justice N. Nagaresh not only ordered the immediate takedown of the listed URLs but also directed the platforms to follow Rule 4(4) of the IT Rules, 2021. This rule requires the use of Artificial Intelligence-based content filtering tools to automatically detect and remove vulgar, abusive, or harmful content involving minors.
The Court admitted the case and issued urgent notices to Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube to respond. The matter is scheduled for the next hearing on July 8, 2025.
“There will be an interim order as prayed for,” the court said, marking a crucial step toward protecting children from cyberbullying and online harassment.
Case Title: Kalyani Jen S. v. State of Kerala and Others
Case No.: WP(C) 21099/2025
