In India, 21 Internet companies, including such giants as Google and Facebook, are fighting a lawsuit after the government authorized their prosecution for failing to block offensive content that appears on their websites.

The criminal lawsuit was filed by the editor of the New Delhi-based Urdu weekly, Akbari, who alleged that online material on their websites has the potential to incite religious conflict. The case has put the spotlight on free speech in the world's largest democracy.

At the heart of the dispute is a law passed in India last year that makes companies responsible for user content posted on their websites, requiring them to take it down within 36 hours in case of a complaint.

Google and Facebook have asked the New Delhi High Court to dismiss the case against them, saying it is impossible to filter all content or stop individuals from posting material online. Lawyers for the two Internet giants said they already removed content deemed to contravene laws in the countries in which they operate.

Civil rights groups in India oppose the new law, while the government insists the objective is not to encroach on the fundamental right of free speech guaranteed by the country's democratic constitution.

But politicians say that posting offensive material in the socially conservative country, which has a history of violence between religious groups, presents a danger to the public as Internet use grows.