New Delhi, Oct. 17: The Supreme Court has directed the Union Government to establish a comprehensive national database to help identify and remove child sexual exploitation and abuse material (CSEAM) across online platforms. The measures aim to strengthen coordination between social media intermediaries and improve child protection online.
A Bench of Justice JB Pardiwala and Justice KV Chandran issued the directions, expressing concern over the continued circulation of such material despite its earlier directions in 2024.
Supreme Court | National Database to Improve Online Content Removal
The Court observed that existing systems often depend on individual complaints and separate platform-level removals. The same material may remain available elsewhere because platforms do not automatically share detection information.
The proposed database may operate through the existing Sahyog Portal or as a separate repository. It will contain hash identifiers and URLs of confirmed CSEAM, rather than the abusive material itself.
Hash identifiers act as digital fingerprints that help platforms detect matching images or videos, including when they are uploaded by different users. URLs can help identify known online locations hosting such content.
The Bench directed that every database entry undergo multiple levels of verification. At least three trained human analysts must independently assess the material after preliminary screening. Safeguards must include assessment records, access logs, independent audits and prompt correction of erroneous entries.
The Court also called for a grievance mechanism for people affected by content removal based on incorrect database entries.
Supreme Court | Platforms Must Report Abuse to Indian Authorities
The Court reiterated that intermediaries must report CSEAM to the appropriate authorities under Indian law. These include Special Juvenile Police Units, local police and the cybercrime portal, as applicable under Rule 11 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Rules, 2020.
The order prescribes reporting timelines. When platforms remove material of unknown origin through their own due diligence, they must report it within two hours. Removals following complaints must be reported within two hours of the complaint being resolved.
Where content is removed after matching an existing database entry, platforms must submit consolidated weekly reports to the authority maintaining the database.
The Court also directed intermediaries to make grievance officer details and complaint mechanisms clearly accessible. Complaints concerning CSEAM must have a distinct reporting category, and trained grievance officers must review them. Each complaint must be acknowledged within 24 hours with a reference number, and users must receive the decision and its reasons.
The Union Government has been asked to extend these accountability requirements to intermediaries through appropriate amendments to the Information Technology Rules.
Supreme Court Seeks Penalties and Stronger Oversight
The Bench called on the Centre to consider exemplary monetary penalties for intermediaries that violate their legal obligations. Penalties should account for the seriousness, duration and recurrence of violations, along with the platform’s size and turnover.
The Court also called for stricter scrutiny of paywalled and subscription-based services to prevent prohibited material from being hosted or circulated. It asked the government to frame guidelines and consider whether revenue earned from the circulation of CSEAM through subscriptions or paywalls should be forfeited.
Digital Safety Education for Children
The Court stressed that technology alone cannot protect children online. It highlighted the need for age-appropriate education covering consent, safe and unsafe touch, healthy relationships, personal data protection, online exploitation and reporting mechanisms.
It said digital safety and age-appropriate sex education should form part of the core curriculum. The National Council of Educational Research and Training and State Councils of Educational Research and Training should develop the content in consultation with child psychologists, educators and parenting experts.
The Union Government, through the Ministries of Electronics and Information Technology and Law and Justice, has been directed to take steps to implement the measures. These may include guidelines, standard operating procedures and suitable amendments to the IT Act and IT Rules.
The Centre must submit an affidavit detailing implementation progress by the next hearing on December 10, 2026.
