Govt taking measures to tackle CSAM on internet: Rajeev Chandrasekhar

Chandrashekhar was responding to the questions raised by Rajya Sabha member Sushil Kumar Modi about the prevalence of explicit content, notably CSAM, on Telegram within India

Union minster of state for electronics and information technology Rajeev Chandrashekhar on Thursday said that the government is taking strong measures to tackle Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM) on the internet.

Rajeev Chandrasekhar, minister of state for electronics and information technology (File Photo)

He termed CSAM as the “unacceptable” part of the internet and said that the government has a “zero-tolerance” policy towards cybercrimes involving explicit content depicting children.

Chandrashekhar was responding to the questions raised by Rajya Sabha member Sushil Kumar Modi about the prevalence of explicit content, notably CSAM, on Telegram within India.

Seeking clarification, Modi inquired if the government had issued directives to curb this objectionable material.

Modi also sought details on the number of groups and channels removed by these platforms for sharing explicit content and queried the government’s actions under the IT Act against such platforms.

Chandrasekhar outlined the measures taken by the government to address the escalating issue of CSAM circulation on digital platforms and said that notices were issued to major social media intermediaries, including Telegram and YouTube, mandating the removal or restriction of access to any CSAM or related groups as per existing regulations.

Acknowledging the inherent risks of online platforms and their potential for criminal exploitation, Chandrashekhar underscored the importance of stringent measures to protect users, particularly children.

He further delineated the jurisdictional responsibility of State police departments in preventing and penalizing cybercrimes against children, aligning with the Constitutional framework where ‘Police’ remains a State subject under the Seventh Schedule.