Delhi High Court orders Facebook, Telegram to disclose details of users cheating people using Sequoia Capital name

The Delhi High Court recently ordered social media platforms Facebook and Telegram and a Domain Name Registrar (DNR) to file reports in sealed cover disclosing the identity people running accounts, channels or websites allegedly to dupe people by using the name of Sequoia Capital [Sequoia Capital Operations LLC & Ors v John Doe and Others]..Justice Sanjeev Narula passed two orders in two suits filed by Sequoia.The Court ordered Meta Platforms (which owns Facebook and WhatsApp) to block/remove access to the profiles mentioned by Sequoia which were allegedly duping people and disclose in sealer cover the mobile numbers, email ids and IP addresses used to open the fake Facebook profiles/accounts.The Bench ordered Telegram to delete channels/accounts mentioned by Sequoia and to delete all other channel/accounts created by the same administrators.“Further, they [Telegram] shall file in a sealed cover the necessary information pertaining to the identity of the admins of the groups/ channels mentioned in Document-C annexed to the plaint, as is available with them, within a period of four weeks from today,” the Court ordered..Telegram was also directed to file an affidavit on the steps it can take as an intermediary to ensure that no new groups are formed by the same names which were used to dupe people.“The said affidavit should specifically outline whether it is technologically possible for Defendant No. 3 to ascertain the existence of any other groups utilising “SENEE TRADER”, “SEQUOIA” or “PEAK XV” in their group names or group descriptions. Let the same be filed within four weeks from today,” the Court ordered.Meanwhile, WhatsApp and X (formerly Twitter) were ordered to remove several accounts referred by Sequoia..Delhi High Court orders WhatsApp, Telegram to delete groups, block accounts cheating people in the name of Sequoia Capital .The Court passed the order after Sequoia and Peak XV Partners (earlier known as Sequoia India and SEA) filed two suits against John Doe defendants (unknown people).In one case, Sequoia said that unknown people were operating a Facebook account ‘Sequoia Capital Academy’ claiming that Sequoia Capital Business School manager is recruiting 100 investors to join its club for free. The account also provided prospective investors a link to join the Telegram group by the name ‘The Future is in my hands’.The Telegram group was then being used to encourage people to invest in stocks and other options through a mobile application.It was Sequoia’s case that the app was misusing its trademark and wrongfully claiming association with them.The imposters were also stated to be operating accounts on X and other platforms..In the second suit, the Court was told about one ‘Senee Trader’ who posted job recruitment posts through several Facebook accounts and claimed association with Sequoia.It was stated that three mirror websites were also being run by the defendant along with a YouTube channel as well.These unknown people were found to be cheating people by asking them to deposit money and make investments..The Court considered the case and observed that the activities of defendants were illegitimate and fraudulent and a ploy to induce unwary users to invest substantial sums of money which is detrimental to public interest.Therefore, it restrained the defendants from using Sequoia trademark or its variations or passing off their business as having any association with the plaintiff. .The Domain Name Registrar was ordered to suspend the domain names and further file a report in sealed cover as well.The Department of Technology (DoT) and Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MEITY) was ordered to issue orders for permanent blocking of these telephone numbers, websites and social media accounts.Their bank accounts were also frozen and the authorities were directed to file sealed cover reports with complete KYC details. .Advocates Shwetasree Majumdar, Priya Adlakha, Vardaan Anand and Shiv Mehrotra appeared for Sequoia.Peak XV was represented through advocates Saikrishna Rajagopal, Sneha Jain, Yatinder Garg and Akshay.Advocate Madhav Khosla and Moha Paranjpe appeared for Telegram.Central Government Standing Counsel Nidhi Raman along with advocates Zubin Singh and Rahul Kumar Sharma appeared for MEITY and DoT..[Read Orders]