Question : Objectionable Online Content

(a) whether the Government has received any complaints from citizens on objectionable online content related to pornography, child sexual abuse material and sexually explicit material etc;

(b) if so, the number of complaints received during the last three years, State-wise;

(c) whether the Government is taking any stringent measures to prevent such objectionable online materials; and

(d) if so, the details thereof along with the steps taken against the offenders/culprits responsible for uploading such materials online?

MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HOME AFFAIRS
(SHRI G. KISHAN REDDY)
(a) & (b): “Police” and “Public Order” are State subjects as per the Constitution of India. States/UTs are primarily responsible for prevention, detection, investigation and prosecution of crimes through their law enforcement machinery. The law enforcement agencies take legal action as per provisions of law against the cyber crime offenders.

As per data maintained by National Crime Records Bureau, the State-wise details of Objectionable Online Content during 2015-2017 in respect of Publishing or Transmitting Obscene Material in Electronic form & Publishing or Transmitting of Material containing sexually explicit act in Electronic form
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LS.US.Q.NO.302 FOR 19.11.2019
(Section 67 & 67A of IT Act), Publishing or Transmitting of Material Depicting children in Sexually Explicit Act etc. in Electronic Form (Section 67B of IT Act) and Use of Child for Pornography/Storing Child Pornography Material (Section 14 & 15 of POCSO) are at Annexure I, II and III respectively.

(c) & (d): To prevent such crimes and to speed up investigation, Central Government has taken steps to spread awareness about cyber crimes, issue of alerts/advisories, capacity building/training of law enforcement personnel/ prosecutors/ judicial officers, improving cyber forensics facilities etc. The Government has also launched the online National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal, www.cybercrime.gov.in to enable citizens to report complaints pertaining to all types of cyber crimes with special focus on cyber crimes against women and children.

Further, to spread awareness on cyber crime, several steps have been taken that include dissemination of messages on cyber crime through MHA Twitter handle @CyberDost, Radio campaign, publishing of Handbook for Adolescents / Students, publishing of ‘Information Security Best practices’ for the benefit of Govt. Officials, organizing of Cyber Safety and Security Awareness week, in association with police department in different States/UTs etc.

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