Now Reading: SC gives Centre final chance on child sexual abuse material
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SC gives Centre final chance on child sexual abuse material
The Supreme Court of India has granted the Centre one final opportunity to file a report on steps taken to prevent the circulation of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) on social media…
The Supreme Court of India has granted the Centre one final opportunity to file a report on steps taken to prevent the circulation of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) on social media platforms. The bench of Justices J B Pardiwala and K Vinod Chandran was hearing a petition by the Just Rights for Children Alliance, which alleges that social media intermediaries have failed to report CSAM to Indian authorities as required under the POCSO Act.
The court had called for responses from the ministries of electronics and information technology and law and justice in August, but no report was filed. The Centre, through Additional Solicitor General K M Nataraj, said the government had issued notice and initiated proceedings against one company. The court directed the government to disclose measures taken to implement its September 2024 judgment, which held that viewing or storing CSAM attracts criminal liability.
The petition follows a BBC report alleging that paid advertisements promoting CSAM appeared on Instagram. The court asked the Centre to explain safeguards against lapses by intermediaries. The case will next be heard on October 15.
Indian Opinion Analysis
All three sources report the same core event neutrally, but differ in emphasis. LiveLaw and Rediff lead with the court pulling up the government and the final deadline, while MediaNama provides extensive background on the Madras HC controversy and the 2024 SC judgment. The critical element present across sources is the government's failure to file a report despite the court's August deadline. The coverage uniformly underscores the seriousness of the issue and the court's frustration, with no outlet taking a pro-government or government-critical stance in the reporting itself. The October 15 hearing will test whether the government submits a concrete action plan or faces further judicial scrutiny.
Coverage: 3 sources, 3 neutral
Sources (3): livelaw.in (neutral report), medianama.com (neutral report), rediff.com (neutral report)
This brief was synthesised by AI from the 3 sources linked above, so one read covers every framing they carry.
Updated: this story now draws on 3 sources.
