Supreme Court Seeks Clarification from Google LLC on Sharing Google PIN in Bail Conditions Case

In a significant legal development, the Supreme Court revisited the debate on privacy rights concerning the sharing of Google PIN with investigating officers as part of bail conditions. Today’s proceedings unveiled an important revelation: the appropriate authority to elucidate the intricacies of Google PIN lies with Google LLC, not Google India.

During the previous hearing, the Bench comprising Justices Abhay S Oka and Ujjal Bhuyan had instructed Google India to furnish an affidavit along with essential documents elucidating the functioning of Google PIN in the context of bail conditions. However, in today’s session, a representative for Google LLC clarified that the product is under the jurisdiction of Google LLC, not Google India. Consequently, it was deemed fitting for Google LLC to respond to the Court’s queries.

It was brought to the Court’s attention that Google LLC had indeed filed an affidavit, albeit it had not been officially acknowledged as the notice had been issued to Google India. Additionally, a counsel representing Google India echoed similar sentiments and informed the Court about the communication sent to the Registry.

Acknowledging these submissions, the Bench formally issued notice to Google LLC and relieved Google India from the case. Furthermore, it directed the Registry to officially acknowledge Google LLC’s affidavit, stating that the Court would scrutinize the document before proceeding with the case.

To succinctly summarize the ongoing legal discourse, the Court is evaluating two primary issues. Firstly, it deliberates on whether bail granted to a foreign national can be contingent upon assurance from the respective Embassy regarding their stay in India. Secondly, it ponders over the imposition of a condition mandating the accused to share their Google PIN location with the investigating officer.