Social media platforms have been a boon for a lot of however on the similar time, it has severely affected kids and minors throughout the globe. Young folks and kids have confronted not solely harassment but in addition bullying on social media by strangers. Some even confronted extortion threats and died by suicide. Now, tech CEOs who head numerous social media platforms confronted a heated listening to within the US Senate the place they had been accused of getting blood on their arms. Meta Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg apologized to households over the affect of social media on kids.Â
As the listening to kicked off, the committee performed a video wherein kids spoke about being bullied on social media platforms. Senators recounted tales of younger folks taking their very own lives after being extorted for cash after sharing photographs with sexual predators. Zuckerberg not solely apologised but in addition promised industry-wide efforts to ensure nobody has to undergo the issues these households have needed to endure.
While Zuckerberg apologised to the US folks, what about these in India who’ve confronted related harassment and abuse? While leaders within the United States have been vital of social media platforms, the identical depth and seriousness usually are not seen amongst Indian political management. It could also be as a result of such incidents usually are not broadly reported in India. In the previous, it has been seen that the Indian authorities has been reactive and never proactive to harms attributable to social media, be it the case of TikTookay or Twitter.Â
In December final yr, the Indian Ministry of Information Technology issued notices to varied social media platforms, together with Telegram, YouTube, and X, instructing them to promptly take away any little one sexual abuse materials and teams concerned within the circulation of such content material.
The discover was issued for content material or materials which is violative of Rule 3(1)(d) and Rule 4(4) of the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021 (IT Rules, 2021). Union IT Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar had earlier mentioned that the times of ‘free cross’ for the social media websites had been over.
The authorities of India introduced new IT guidelines in 2021 which supplied for stricter punishment in case of violative supplies on social media websites. The authorities had mentioned that non-compliance with the necessities as per new guidelines will probably be deemed a breach of Rule 3(1)(b) and Rule 4(4) of the IT Rules, 2021. The IT guidelines underneath the IT Act lay down strict expectations from social media intermediaries that they need to not permit felony or dangerous posts on their platforms. If they don’t act swiftly, their protected harbour underneath part 79 of the IT Act can be withdrawn and penalties underneath the Indian regulation will comply with.
The Information Technology (IT) Act of 2000, gives the authorized framework for addressing pornographic content material, together with CSAM. Sections 66E, 67, 67A, and 67B of the IT Act impose stringent penalties and fines for the net transmission of obscene or pornographic content material.
While the principles are in place, their full-throttle implementation has not been ensured within the absence of a correct monitoring and implementation system. While the Indian authorities has proven its intention to make sure free, honest and protected social media platforms, not solely the social media platforms however even the customers want to pay attention to their rights. Social media customers also needs to come out and report violative supplies accessible on these platforms. Only a collective effort can result in a protected web ecosystem however there isn’t a doubt that the federal government and the tech corporations must play a higher position in that.
