Central goverment : Central government's stern warning against online obscenity

The central government has given a strict warning to social media companies. The government has urged them to take action against illegal content related to obscene and pornographic material as well as child sexual exploitation. Legal action will be taken against those who violate the order. The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology stated that social media companies are bound to comply with the order under Section 79 of the Information Technology Act, stating that they will not upload obscene and pornographic material on their platforms.

Companies should inspect their sites

The ministry has instructed social media companies to inspect their sites and take action against obscene and indecent content on their platforms. It also states that failure to do so may result in prosecution under national laws. This order from the ministry comes at a time when it has been observed that social media platforms are not taking strict action against obscene illegal content. The ministry has stated that failure to comply with the provisions of the Information Technology Rules, 2021, may result in action against social media companies under the IT Act, BNS, and other applicable criminal laws.

The government reminded about IT rules

The government reminded social media companies of the provisions of the IT Act and IT Rules, 2021, which require companies to ensure that obscene, indecent, or child sexual exploitation content is not disseminated on their online platforms.

What do the IT Rules, 2021 say?

According to the IT Rules, 2021, if a person complains that a photo or video posted online shows them engaged in sexual activities, depicted in nudity, or shown with a false image, the social media platform or website must remove that content within 24 hours.