'India's Got Latent' row: SC bats for online content regulation, says 'will be very happy if...'

In the aftermath of the controversy surrounding the 'India's Got Latent' show, the Supreme Court Tuesday said online content needs to be regulated in India. The apex court made the observations as it was hearing YouTuber-podcaster Ranveer Allahbadia's plea challenging FIRs filed against him due to the comments made on India's Got Latent.

"Need to do something to regulate obscene content online... We would like to do something. If the government of India is willing to do so, we'll be very happy," the court said.

"Otherwise, we are not going to leave this vacuum and this [...] area... the way it is being misused by so-called YouTube channels and all these things are going on...We have issued notice," it added.

The court's observations came soon after it issued notice on the petition filed by YouTuber Ranveer Allahabadia against the FIRs registered for obscenity.

A bench comprising Justice Surya Kant and Justice N Kotiswar Singh also asked Attorney General R Venkataramani and Solicitor General Tushar Mehta to assist the court to tackle the vacuum in regulation of online content.

The court also asked Venkataramani and Mehta to be present during the next hearing in the case.