The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) on October 6 issued a warning to leading social media intermediaries, warning them of removal of their legal protection if content related to child sexual abuse is not removed from their platforms.
MeitY has issued notices to three leading intermediaries – X, formerly known as Twitter, YouTube and Telegram – directing them to remove child sexual abuse material (CSAM) from their platforms for Indian users, an official statement noted.
“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,” it added.
Union Minister of State for Electronics and IT Rajeev Chandrasekhar said the notices were sent to X, YouTube and Telegram to ensure that no CSAM exists 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,” he said.
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“If they do not act swiftly, their safe harbour under section 79 of the IT Act would be withdrawn and consequences under the Indian law will follow,” the minister warned.
Notably, sections 66E, 67, 67A, and 67B of the IT Act impose stringent penalties and fines for the online transmission of obscene or pornographic content, including CSAM.
“The notices served to these platforms emphasise the importance of prompt and permanent removal or disabling of access to any CSAM on their platforms. 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,” the statement issued by MeitY further added.
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Updated: 06 Oct 2023, 06:50 PM IST