US president asked to explain why America is trying to extradite British student Richard O'Dwyer over alleged copyright breach

Barack Obama has come under pressure to explain American attempts to extradite a British student accused of breaking US copyright law, after a web campaign to raise awareness of the case propelled it to the top of a presidential question-and-answer session.

A query about Richard O'Dwyer, a 23-year-old Sheffield Hallam undergraduate who faces jail if sent for trial and convicted in the US, was the most asked of more than 133,000 questions submitted to a live online Google+ "hangout" with the president broadcast on Monday.

O'Dwyer, the creator of the now-defunct TVShack website, which allowed users to watch film and television programmes without charge, is alleged by US authorities to have earned nearly £150,000 from his online activities. A court ruled this month that he could be sent for trial in the US – a prospect his lawyers say would make him a guinea pig for US copyright law.

Obama sought to distance himself from the case when asked by the web personality Michael Mozart, a vehement critic of anti-piracy legislation, to explain why the extradition was being attempted.

"Why are you personally supporting the extradition of British citizen Richard O'Dwyer for solely linking to copyright-infringing works using an extradition treaty designed to combat terrorism and to bring terrorists to judgment in the USA?" Mozart asked.

The president replied: "I'm not personally doing anything; I want to make sure everybody understands. One of the ways our system works is that the president doesn't get involved with prosecution decisions or extradition decisions and this has been a decision by the justice department."

Obama spoke in greater depth on the contentious issue of internet piracy and copyright law, saying his administration was trying to "make sure that intellectual property is protected; we want to make sure that the creative works of people in this country aren't expropriated but we want to do it in a way that's consistent with internet freedom".

O'Dwyer's mother, Julia, said Obama had given a "typical politician's response" but she was glad the question had been asked because it drew attention to the case.

Reiterating her criticism of the extradition treaty between the US and Britain, which she and others say is biased, Mrs O'Dwyer urged the government to take action. "Given our government won't protect its own citizens, it's up to Mr Obama to put a stop to the ridiculous and appallingly harsh attempts to extradite Richard, and others facing similarly unnecessary treatment."

She later added: "The politicians in this country are just sitting by, doing nothing really."

Despite his lawyers' attempts to argue that TVShack had not stored copyright material but had, like other legitimate websites, pointed users towards places they could find it, O'Dwyer was told by Westminster magistrates court last month he was eligible to face trial in the US. He was arrested at his home in Yorkshire by British and American police in November 2010, but does not face criminal charges in the UK.