India tells X, YouTube, Telegram to remove any child sexual abuse material from platforms

MUMBAI: India has sent notices to social media platforms X, formerly known as Twitter, YouTube and Telegram asking them to ensure there is no child sexual abuse material on their platforms, the government said on Friday (Oct 6).

The companies could be stripped of their protection from legal liability if they don’t comply, the government said in a statement.

The notices, sent by the Federal Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MEITY), emphasised the importance of prompt and permanent removal of any child sexual abuse material on these 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“If they do not act swiftly, their safe harbour under section 79 of the IT Act would be withdrawn and consequences under the Indian law will follow,” India’s junior minister for Information Technology, Rajeev Chandrashekhar, was quoted as saying in the statement.

Chandrasekhar has been a vocal advocate for removing such harmful content from the Indian internet and Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government is determined “to build a safe and trusted internet under the IT rules,” the government said.

Representatives for X and Google, which owns YouTube, as well as Telegram did not immediately respond to Reuters requests for comment.

The notices also asked companies to take proactive measures, such as content moderation algorithms and reporting mechanisms, to prevent the dissemination of child sexual abuse material in the future, the statement said.

Reuters reported in July that India had told online streamers like Netflix and Disney that their content should be independently reviewed for obscenity and violence before being shown online.