Lok Sabha Question No. 1863 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2019-07-03
Subject: Child Pornography
Ministry: ELECTRONICS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
Asked by: Kirit Premjibhai Solanki

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF ELECTRONICS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.1863

TO BE ANSWERED ON: 03.07.2019

## CHILD PORNOGRAPHY

## 1863.    DR. (PROF.) KIRIT PREMJIBHAI SOLANKI:

Will the Minister of Electronics & Information Technology be pleased to state:-

- (a) whether  the  Government  proposes  to  issue  an  advisory  to  Internet  Service  Providers  for  blocking  and  filtering objectionable images, texts and videos of children and if so, the details thereof;
- (b) whether the Government has formulated a long-term policy to deal with online child sexual abuse and if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor; and
- (c)   whether the Government plans to undertake any programmes or campaigns on cyber bullying and the manner in which children should navigate the internet and if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER FOR ELECTRONICS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (SHRI RAVI SHANKAR PRASAD)

(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.

*******