If the social media platforms don’t act swiftly, their “safe harbour under section 79 of the IT Act would be withdrawn”, a statement by Minister of State for Electronics and IT Rajiv Chandrasekhar said.

The implication is that they can be directly prosecuted under applicable laws and rules, even if the content may not have been uploaded by them.

“The notices served to these platforms emphasize the importance of prompt and permanent removal or disabling of access to any CSAM (child sexual abuse material) on their platforms. They also call for the implementation of proactive measures, such as content moderation algorithms and reporting mechanisms, to prevent the dissemination of CSAM in the future,” the statement by the ministry read.

The government is determined to “build a safe and trusted internet under the IT rules,” said Chandrasekhar.

“The IT rules under the IT Act lays down strict expectations from social media intermediaries that they should not allow criminal or harmful posts on their platforms,” he added, referring to Information Technology (IT) Act, 2000.