Lok Sabha Question No. 2274 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-03-12
Subject: Obscene Content on Social Media Platforms
Ministry: INFORMATION AND BROADCASTING
Asked by: Shri Dharambir Singh

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF INFORMATION & BROADCASTING

## LOK SABHA

UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2274

TO BE ANSWERED ON 12.03.2025

## OBSCENE CONTENT ON SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS

2274. SHRI DHARAMBIR SINGH:

Will the Minister of INFORMATION AND BROADCASTING be pleased to state:

- (a)  whether  the  Government  is  aware  of  the  increasing  spread  of  vulgar, obscene and misleading content on platforms like YouTube, Instagram and other social media in India;
- (b) the steps taken by the Government to regulate and monitor such content particularly content that negatively influences youth and promotes unethical behaviour;
- (c) whether the Government  has directed social media platforms to implement stricter content moderation policies and age-restriction mechanisms;
- (d)  the  details  of  the  complaints  received  and  legal  actions  taken  against content  creators  and  platforms  for  spreading  inappropriate  or  harmful content; and
- (e) whether the Government plans to introduce new regulations or amendments under the Information Technology Act to ensure accountability of social media platforms in curbing the spread of such content and if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR INFORMATION AND BROADCASTING; AND

## PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS

(DR. L MURUGAN):

(a)  to  (e):  The  Government  has  notified  the  Information  Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021 ('IT Rules, 2021') on 25.02.2021 under the Information Technology Act,2000. For  the  user  generated  content  on  intermediary  platforms,  Part-II  of  IT Rules,  2021,  administered  by  Ministry  of  Electronics  and  Information Technology (MeiTY) casts specific due diligence obligations on intermediaries, including social media intermediaries to make reasonable efforts by themselves and to cause the users of their computer resource to not host, store, transmit, display or publish, etc. any such information that is obscene,  pornographic,  invasive  of  another's  privacy,  insulting or harassing  on  the  basis  of  gender,  racially  or  ethnically  objectionable,  or promoting enmity between different groups on the grounds of religion or caste  with  the  intent  to  incite  violence,  or  harmful  to  child  or  that  is relating or encouraging money laundering or gambling, or that is misinformation, patently false information, untrue or misleading in nature, or  that  threatens  the  unity,  integrity,  defence,  security  or  sovereignty  of India, public order, or that violates any law for the time being in force. Similarly for the publishers of news and current affairs on digital media and publishers  of  online  curated  content  (OTT  Platforms),    Part-III  of  the  IT Rules,  2021,  administered  by  Ministry  of  Information  and  Broadcasting, inter-alia,  provide  for  a  Code  of  Ethics  for  such  publishers.      Besides, Section 79(3)(b) of IT Act, 2000 provides for notification by appropriate Governments of unlawful act or content to the intermediaries for removing/disabling access to such content.  Under these provisions the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting in March 2024, has taken  action  and  blocked  18  OTT  platforms  for  publishing  obscene  and vulgar content. Action for hosting of content that is violative of any law, for the time being in force, is also taken by the  appropriate law enforcement agencies on the basis of FIRs filed such cases.

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