CEO of Facebook and Instagram Mark Zuckerberg has apologized to the United States for THIS reason. However, what about India?
Zuckerberg apologizes for extortion cases, pledges industry-wide action.
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While social media has greatly benefited many, it has also had a negative impact on children and minors worldwide. Not only have strangers harassed but even bullied young adults and children on social media. Some even committed suicide after receiving threats of extortion. Tech CEOs in charge of several social media sites now had to sit through a contentious session in front of the US Senate, where they were charged with having blood on their hands. Mark Zuckerberg, the CEO of Meta, expressed regret to families on the negative effects of social media on kids.
The committee began the meeting by playing a video in which kids discussed being bullied on social media. Senators related anecdotes of young individuals who committed themselves after being blackmailed into paying money for sharing images of themselves with sex predators. In addition to expressing regret, Zuckerberg pledged industry-wide actions to ensure that no one has to experience the hardships their families did.
Although Zuckerberg expressed regret to Americans, what about others in India who have experienced similar mistreatment and harassment? Political leadership in India has not criticized social media platforms with the same fervor and gravity as officials in the United States. It could be because there aren't many reports of these kinds of instances in India. When it comes to the negative effects of social media, such as those created by Twitter or TikTok, the Indian government has historically demonstrated that it is reactive rather than proactive.
The Indian Ministry of Information Technology sent out notifications to Telegram, YouTube, and X, among other social media platforms, in December of last year, directing them to take down any content that involves child sexual assault as well as any groups that were involved in its distribution.
The Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021 (IT Rules, 2021) were violated by the content or material for which the notification was issued (Rule 3(1)(d) and Rule 4(4)). Rajeev Chandrasekhar, the Union Minister of Information Technology, had previously declared that social networking companies' "free pass" days were over.
In 2021, the Indian government introduced new IT regulations that stipulated harsher penalties for offensive content on social media platforms. According to the government, failing to comply with the new regulations will be considered a violation of IT Rules, 2021, Rules 3(1)(b) and 4(4). Social media intermediaries are subject to stringent standards under the IT Act, which states that companies must prohibit damaging or illegal messages from appearing on their networks. They will lose their safe harbor under section 79 of the IT Act and face legal repercussions in India if they do not take immediate action.
The legal foundation for dealing with pornographic content, including CSAM, is provided by the Information Technology (IT) Act of 2000. The IT Act's Sections 66E, 67, 67A, and 67B establish severe fines and penalties for the internet transmission of pornographic or obscene material.
The regulations are in place, but without an adequate framework for monitoring and implementing them, their full execution has not been guaranteed. Even if the Indian government has made it clear that it wants to guarantee free, equitable, and secure social media platforms, users also need to be aware of their legal rights. Users of social media should come forward and denounce offensive content that they see on these sites. A safe internet ecosystem can only be achieved via teamwork, and it is certain that the government and tech companies will need to take a more active role in that effort.
