Remove child sexual abuse material or face action: Centre issues notices to X, YouTube & Telegram
child sexual abuse online, the Ministry of Electronics and IT (MEITY) on Friday issued notices to social media intermediaries X, Youtube and Telegram, warning them to remove Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM) from their platforms in India.
The Ministry also warned the three social media intermediaries that any delay in complying with the notices will result in the withdrawal of their safe harbor protection under Section 79 of the IT Act, which currently shields them from legal liability.
According to IT minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar, “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. If they do not act swiftly, their safe harbour under section 79 of the IT Act would be withdrawn and consequences under the Indian law will follow.”
The Information Technology (IT) Act, 2000, provides the legal framework for addressing pornographic content, including CSAM.
