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Complying with SC’s Pocso ruling may be hard for social media firms

Economic Times · 7m

Social media intermediaries may struggle to comply with the recent Supreme Court judgement on child pornography due to practical and legal limitations. The ruling requires them to report instances of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) to local authorities in India under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. However, social media platforms incorporated in the US usually report to the National Centre for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) due to restrictions on sharing data with foreign law enforcement. The lack of a mechanism to detect and report CSAM in India poses additional challenges. Clear guidelines and a centralized Indian portal could aid compliance.