The Supreme Court of India has given the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) and the Ministry of Law and Justice a final deadline to file a detailed report on actions taken to combat Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM) on online and social media platforms. The court set the deadline ahead of the next hearing scheduled for October 15, demanding clarity on steps implemented and future precautions to prevent lapses in curbing CSAM, according to medianama.com.
The court's directive follows submissions from Google and Meta confirming their commitment to report CSAM content. Currently, social media intermediaries report such material to the US-based National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC), which then forwards reports to relevant law enforcement agencies, including those in other countries. The Supreme Court emphasized the need for MeitY and the Ministry of Law and Justice to explain how they will ensure effective enforcement of its previous orders and prevent failures by social media platforms in addressing CSAM, as detailed by Bar and Bench.
This development comes amid growing concerns over the spread of CSAM on digital platforms and the effectiveness of existing mechanisms to tackle it. The court’s insistence on a comprehensive government response highlights the increasing judicial scrutiny on online intermediaries and regulatory bodies. The case underscores the challenges faced by Indian authorities in balancing internet freedom with safeguarding vulnerable users, aligning with global efforts to tighten controls on harmful online content.
The Supreme Court will review the government’s action-taken report on October 15, marking a critical juncture in India’s legal approach to combating CSAM on social media. The court’s order explicitly requires the ministries to outline both past measures and future safeguards against lapses by intermediaries, setting a precedent for accountability in digital content regulation.