a) and (b): Government has taken a number of steps to be implemented by Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to protect children from sexual abuse online. These, inter alia include :
(i) Government blocks the websites containing extreme Child sexual Abuse Material (CSAM) based on INTERPOL’s “Worst-of-list” shared periodically by Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) which is the National Nodal Agency for Interpol. The list is shared with Department of Telecommunications (DoT), who then directs major ISPs to block such websites.
(ii) Government ordered major ISPs in India to adopt and disable/remove the online CSAM dynamically based on Internet Watch Foundation (IWF), UK list.
(iii) Department of Telecom, Government of India has communicated to all ISPs requesting them to make suitable arrangement to spread awareness among their subscribers, through emails, invoices, SMSs, websites, etc,, about the use of Parental Control filters in the end-user machines/devices .
(iv) Further, the Government has launched a portal namely www.cybercrime.gov.in to report CSAM or Rape/Gang-Rape (RGR) or obscene contents on internet. ISPs are asked to remove any valid CSAM/RGR/Obscene contents reported on this portal.
(c): The Information Technology (IT) Act, 2000 has adequate provisions to deal with prevailing cyber crimes. Further, sections 354A and 354D of Indian Penal Code provide punishment for cyber bullying and cyber stalking against women. Further:
(i) Ministry of Home Affairs has issued an Advisory on 4.1.2012 on “Preventing & combating Cyber Crime against Women and Children”, wherein it was advised to States/Union Territories to specifically combat the crimes in forms of cyber stalking, cyber bullying, child pornography and exposure to sexually explicit material etc.
(ii) The Government is implementing a major programme on Information Security Education and Awareness (ISEA). A dedicated website for information security awareness (https://www.infosecawareness.in) has also been set up.
(iii) Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) issued a circular on 18.08.2017 to all schools on safe and effective use of Internet and Digital Technologies in Schools and School buses.
(iv) Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has launched a portal www.cybercrime.gov.in for public to report complaints of child pornography and sexually explicit content. MHA released a booklet: “A Handbook for Adolescents/Students on Cyber Security” to create awareness among citizens especially students / children about various cyber threats that can impact the children and ways to safeguard themselves against cyber crimes. The copy of the booklet is available in the following link: https://mha.gov.in/sites/default/files/CyberSafety_English_Web_03122018.pdf.
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