Remove child sexual abuse material or face action: Centre warns X, YouTube, Telegram

The Ministry of Electronics and IT on Friday issued notices to social media intermediaries X (formerly Twitter), YouTube, and Telegram, warning them to remove any kind of Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM) from their platforms on the Indian internet or face action.

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.

"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," Union Minister of State for Electronics & IT Rajeev Chandrasekhar said.

"The rules under the IT Act lay 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 If they do not act swiftly, their safe harbour under section 79 of the IT Act would be withdrawn and consequences under the Indian law will follow,” the minister warned.