Government tightens rules to curb online child abuse and AI misuse

The government said it has taken serious note of reports alleging that advertisements linked to child sexual abuse material were being circulated on certain social media platforms.

The Central Government has strengthened India's digital safety framework with stricter rules for social media platforms and online intermediaries, placing greater responsibility on them to remove unlawful content, combat child sexual abuse material (CSAM) and address emerging threats from AI-generated content.

In a statement to the Lok Sabha, Minister of State for Electronics and Information Technology Jitin Prasada said the measures are intended to ensure that the internet remains open, safe, trusted and accountable for all users, especially women and children.

Stronger action against child abuse content

The government said it has taken serious note of reports alleging that advertisements linked to child sexual abuse material were being circulated on certain social media platforms. It has sought detailed reports from the concerned intermediaries, while the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) has also issued notices to the platforms involved.

Under the Information Technology Act, 2000, offences such as identity theft, impersonation, privacy violations and publishing obscene or sexually explicit material carry legal penalties. The law also empowers police to investigate cyber offences.

The Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021 require online platforms to prevent the hosting and sharing of content that is harmful to children, obscene, invasive of privacy or otherwise unlawful.

Faster removal timelines introduced

Recent amendments have significantly reduced the time available to intermediaries for removing unlawful content. Social media platforms and other intermediaries must now remove content within three hours of receiving a valid court order or a reasoned direction from the appropriate government authority.

Platforms are also required to remove content involving nudity, non-consensual intimate imagery, morphed images or similar sensitive material within two hours of receiving a complaint. The rules further require intermediaries to report offences involving laws such as the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012 and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 to the appropriate authorities.

New safeguards for AI-generated content

The government has also updated the IT Rules to address the growing misuse of artificial intelligence and deepfakes.

The amended framework requires AI-generated content to carry clear labels and traceable metadata where permitted, making it easier for users to identify synthetic content. Platforms must also strengthen user awareness, improve compliance systems and prevent the spread of AI-generated child sexual exploitation material, impersonation and non-consensual intimate imagery.

Significant social media intermediaries are expected to deploy automated tools and other technical measures to proactively detect and prevent content related to rape, child sexual abuse and other unlawful material. Messaging platforms must also enable the identification of the first originator of messages in cases involving serious offences specified under the law.

The government has additionally issued advisories to intermediaries and introduced a Standard Operating Procedure for tackling the online spread of non-consensual intimate imagery, providing guidance for victims, platforms and law enforcement agencies.

The information was shared by Minister of State for Electronics and Information Technology Jitin Prasada in a written reply in the Lok Sabha on 22 July 2026.