What did the Supreme Court direct the Central Government to do to curb online child sexual exploitation and abuse material (CSEAM)?
✅ Correct Answer: Create stronger safeguards through a national database, guidelines, Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and necessary legal amendments.
On 15 October 2026, the Supreme Court of India issued important directions in Just Rights for Children Alliance v. S. Harish, calling for a stronger system to detect, report and remove child sexual exploitation and abuse material from digital platforms.
The Court directed the Union Government, through the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) and the Ministry of Law and Justice, to develop appropriate guidelines, SOPs and necessary amendments to the Information Technology Act and IT Rules.
📌 Important Facts for Competitive Exams:
Court: Supreme Court of India
Order date: 15 October 2026
Case: Just Rights for Children Alliance v. S. Harish
Issue: Online child sexual exploitation and abuse material (CSEAM)
Key proposal: National database of hashes and URLs to help identify and remove known harmful material across platforms
Other measures: Time-bound reporting, stronger grievance redressal and accountability of social media intermediaries
Government departments: MeitY and the Ministry of Law and Justice
Legal framework: POCSO Act, 2012; Information Technology Act, 2000; IT Rules, 2021
Next hearing: 10 December 2026
Important clarification: The Court directed the Government to develop and implement the necessary framework; the national database and proposed safeguards should not be described as fully operational unless their implementation is confirmed.
The Court also emphasised that protecting children should focus on removing harmful material and holding those responsible accountable, rather than imposing blanket restrictions on children’s access to the internet.
🎯 Useful for: UPSC, SSC, Banking, Railway, State PCS and other competitive examinations.
Watch this video to revise important legal, technology and social-justice current affairs from October 2026 with Current Affairs Studio.
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