The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) wants Social media intermediaries X, YouTube, and Telegram to bring in a proactive mechanism to remove/block Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM).
In a stern message, the Ministry has directed these online platforms to immediately and permanently remove user-generated CSAM content. Also, work on Content Moderation Algorithms and Reporting to stop the dissemination of such content.
Minister of State for Electronics and Information Technology Rajeev Chandrasekar said, “The government is committed to establishing a safe and trusted internet under the IT Rules.” He also warned that they would lose their safe harbor under section 79 of the IT Act if they failed to act promptly.
The minister further quoted Rule 3(1)(b) and Rule 4(4) of the IT Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code Rules 2021. These laws make it mandatory for social media platforms to remove content that is obscene, pornographic, paedophilic, or harmful to children.
Social media intermediaries will now be liable for CSAM content on their platforms. And they could face legal action under relevant Indian laws, including stringent penalties and fines.