By TwoCircles.net Staff Reporter,
New Delhi: Leading property website 99acres.com has responded to the TCN story on entries on its website that contained offensive references to a religious minority community. The website had advertisements that openly discriminated against Muslims.
Referring to the posting of a classified advertisement placed by M/S Jacinta Estates for sale of a property at 99acres.com, the website managers accept that “the said listing contained offensive references to a religious community.”
No Muslim is allowed
99acres.com, however, clarified that the “company is totally against such discriminatory practices,” adding, “The offensive text was removed from the listing by the advertiser before the matter was brought to our notice. We are in the process of investigating the matter in more detail.”
The company, however, explained that at any point of time 99acres has over 400,000 classified listings. These are uploaded directly by advertisers on the site using our self-service online interface.
“99acres.com is a platform or an intermediary and as per industry practice it is our responsibility to remove any illegal content from our site after it is brought to our notice,” The administrator of 99acres.com said, responding to the TCN story on Facebook.
Taking a cue, the company is now “examining other listings on the site for any such objectionable content. The company is in the process of putting in place checks and processes to prevent the recurrence of such acts, the FB post further added.
Expressing regret, 99acres.com added, “We are deeply embarrassed that our site was misused in this manner.”
The latest advertisement is about a residential apartment for sale in Dadar clearly states the apartment building has “no muslims.”
The discrimination against Muslims in getting houses in metro cities is well documented but this is the first time that an advertisement makes absence of Muslims a feature for the property.
Welcoming the move by 99acres to put in process checks for these ads, Kashif-ul-Huda, editor of TwoCircles.net offered his recommendations: “We welcome the move by the company but request it to put its anti-discriminatory policy on the website where advertisers have to agree to the policy before posting their listings. The website should prominently display button for reporting offensive ads. The website should blacklist repeat offenders.”
Full statement of 99acres.com
This has reference to the posting of a classified advertisement placed by a client for sale of a property on our site 99acres.com.
The post was brought to our notice on Monday, November 4, 2013 and was said to contain offensive references to a religious community.
By this time, the advertiser had already modified the contents and removed the offensive portion.
We remove listings when they are reported to us and deemed offensive and discriminatory.
99acres.com will continue to take all reasonable steps to moderate such postings in the future.
We are a platform or an intermediary and as per industry practice it is our responsibility to remove any illegal content from our site as soon as it comes to our notice.
We are in the process of putting in place more rigorous checks and processes to prevent the recurrence of such listings.
We are deeply embarrassed that our site was misused in this manner.
Our company remains totally against discriminatory practices.
Note to Editors: 99acres.com is a platform powered by user-generated content, ie, advertisers list the property on their own through our self-service online interface.
At any point of time 99acres.com has over 400,000 classified listings. These are uploaded directly by advertisers on the site.
Follow up of this story by other news organizations
Mumbai betrays house prejudice afresh: The Telegraph
Realty portal faces trouble over discriminatory ad: DNA
मुसलमान हैं तो क्या घर नहीं मिलेगा?: BBC Hindi
On The 99 Acres Controversy, User Generated Listings & Intermediary Liability: MediaNama
Housing ads on web portal say ‘Muslims not allowed’, taken off: Indian Express
No Muslims, said online ad for Mumbai flat: NDTV
Realty ad stirs up controversy, portal plans to filter content: Business Standard
Broker puts up ‘No Muslims’ ad on property site: Mid-Day
‘No Muslims’ ad: Property portal and the broker in trouble after a social activist filed petition: Muslim Mirror
Mumbai property broker posts online ad, says no to Muslims: IBN Live
Not responsible for Mumbai racist property ad, says 99acres: First Post