The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) on Friday said it has issued notices to social media intermediaries X, YouTube and Telegram, warning them to remove Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM) from their platforms on the Indian Internet.

The notices served to these platforms emphasise the importance of prompt and permanent removal or disabling of access to any CSAM on their platforms, MeitY said in a statement.

They also call for the implementation of proactive measures, such as content moderation algorithms and reporting mechanisms, to prevent the dissemination of CSAM in the future, it said.

Strict action

These notices from MeitY stated that non-compliance with these requirements will be deemed a breach of Rule 3(1)(b) and Rule 4(4) of the IT Rules, 2021. The Ministry has also warned the three social media intermediaries that any delay in complying with the notices will result in the withdrawal of their safe harbour protection under Section 79 of the IT Act, which currently shields them from legal liability.

“We have sent notices to X, Youtube and Telegram to ensure there are no Child Sexual Abuse Material that exist on their platforms. The government is determined to build a safe and trusted Internet under the IT rules. The IT rules under the IT Act lays down strict expectations from social media intermediaries that they should not allow criminal or harmful posts on their platforms,” Rajeev Chandrasekhar, Minister of State for Skill Development & Entrepreneurship and Electronics & IT, said.

The IT Act, 2000, provides the legal framework for addressing pornographic content, including CSAM. Sections 66E, 67, 67A, and 67B of the IT Act impose stringent penalties and fines for the online transmission of obscene or pornographic content.

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