Indian Government Takes Action Against Social Media Giants for Child Sexual Abuse Material

In a significant move to ensure online safety for Indian users, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has taken action against three major social media giants, namely X, YouTube, and Telegram. On Friday, October 6, MeitY issued notices to these platforms, urging them to promptly remove any instances of Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM) from their Indian internet domains.

Source: https://www.end-violence.org/    

In a significant move to ensure online safety for Indian users, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has taken action against three major social media giants, namely X, YouTube, and Telegram. On Friday, October 6, MeitY issued notices to these platforms, urging them to promptly remove any instances of Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM) from their Indian internet domains.

Union Minister for Electronics & IT, Rajeev Chandrasekhar, emphasized, "We have sent notices to X, YouTube, and Telegram to ensure there are no Child Sexual Abuse Materials on their platforms." The ministry has also called upon these social media giants to proactively implement content moderation algorithms and reporting mechanisms to prevent the dissemination of CSAM in the future.

Failure to comply with these requirements will be considered a breach of Rule 3(1)(b) and Rule 4(4) of the IT Rules, 2021, and may result in the withdrawal of their safe harbor protection under Section 79 of the IT Act. This section currently shields social media intermediaries from legal liability related to user-posted content.

Also Read: Elon Musk's Starlink And Mukesh Ambani's Reliance Jio Compete For India's Internet Dominance

Rajeev Chandrasekhar further stated, "The Government is determined to build a safe and trusted internet under the IT rules. The IT Act lays down strict expectations from social media intermediaries to prevent criminal or harmful posts on their platforms. Failure to act swiftly may lead to the withdrawal of their safe harbor protection, with legal consequences under Indian law."

Notably, the Information Technology (IT) Act 2000 provides a legal framework to address pornographic content, including CSAM. Sections 66E, 67, 67A, and 67B of the IT Act impose severe penalties and fines for the online transmission of obscene or pornographic material, reinforcing the government's commitment to online safety in India.