The Supreme Court on Monday raised concerns about social media companies failing to meet mandatory reporting duties under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act. It requested the central government’s response to these issues.
The court directed the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology and the Ministry of Law and Justice to submit their replies two weeks before the next hearing on September 24.
This order follows recent government notices on mishandling of child sexual abuse material and the temporary removal of a video featuring Prime Minister Narendra Modi from Facebook.
The petition claims that social media firms are not reporting cases of child sexual exploitation directly to Indian police units as required. Instead, they notify the US-based National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.
It also points to paid ads promoting such material and calls for legal action against non-compliant platforms.
Petitioners want a standard procedure for detecting and reporting abuse content, preserving evidence, and sharing details with authorities. They seek a central system for reporting and evidence sharing, plus adding offenders to the National Database of Sexual Offenders.
