23 Twitter handles blocked over child porn allegations

The Delhi Police action came days after the Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) sent the social media website a notice highlighting the matter.

Twitter, at the behest of Delhi Police,hasblocked 23 accounts for showing child pornography, days after Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) sent the social media website a notice highlighting the matter, officers aware of the issue said, adding no arrests have been made yet.

FILE PHOTO - A 3D-printed logo for Twitter is seen in this picture illustration January 26, 2016. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo GLOBAL BUSINESS WEEK AHEAD (REUTERS)

Deputy commissioner of police (Intelligence Fusion and Strategic Operations) Prashant Gautam said they registered a First Information Report (FIR) in the case. “We formed four teams to analyse all the objectionable tweets. Currently, Twitter has blocked 23 accounts at our behest. We also asked for information on the users since many of the accounts are run by anonymous individuals and groups,” he said.

A senior police officer said that they are yet to get a lead on those operating the offensive accounts, who will then be identified and arrested.

DCW, on September 20, had summoned Twitter India’s policy head and Delhi Police over tweets with videos depicting child pornography and rape of women and children on the website.

DCW had said that they found nearly a hundred accounts with “disturbing and horrific” content. “The accounts engaging in these criminal acts appear to be running a racket wherein they seek money for providing such content,” a DCW statement said.

DCW chief Swati Maliwal also met with Delhi Police officers and Twitter India representatives on Tuesday and asked Twitter India to assist the investigation and provide police with all information sought in the matter.

In December last year, IFSO registered 160 cases under operation titled ‘Masoom’ (Mitigation of Adolescent Sexually Offensive Online Material) and arrested 50 persons. The cases were registered and arrests were made based on inputs from National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC), a US-based private organisation, which works on such cyber crimes in coordination with India’s National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB).

NCMEC scans the Internet to identify child exploitation videos, child pornographic content, online enticements and contact offences.

A senior police officer said that the crackdown on such accounts will continue.