SC seeks Google help on location pin as bail condition

With the Union government failing to explain how the Google Maps pin works, the Supreme Court on Friday directed Google India to explain technical aspects of dropping a pin and whether a condition requiring an accused to continue providing investigators with information about his whereabouts is likely to infringe the individual's right to privacy.

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A bench of justices Abhay S Oka and Ujjal Bhuyan issued notice to Google India Pvt Ltd, pointing out that the Centre has been unable to explain the working of the Google pin and rather suggested that the company should be asked to share the technical aspects of the movement tracker. "The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (Meity) has given an affidavit and has suggested that as far as working of the Google pin is concerned, it's appropriate if the information is sought from Google India Pvt Ltd. We therefore issue notice to Google India Pvt Ltd.... We make it clear that we are not impleading them as a party respondent in the case but only for obtaining information on the working of the Google pin," the bench said in its order.

The order further said that Google India will file its affidavit explaining the working of the Google pin in the context of bail.