Govt Reviews Global Child Online Safety Models, Highlights IT Act And DPDP Safeguards
News india Govt Reviews Global Child Online Safety Models, Highlights IT Act And DPDP Safeguards Govt Reviews Global Child Online Safety Models, Highlights IT Act
News india Govt Reviews Global Child Online Safety Models, Highlights IT Act And DPDP Safeguards Govt Reviews Global Child Online Safety Models, Highlights IT Act And DPDP Safeguards Published By, Last Updated: August 05, 2026, 19:23 IST The Centre is reviewing global child online safety models while highlighting existing safeguards under the IT Act, IT Rules and DPDP Act. Rapid Read The Centre is examining global child online safety practices while reviewing India's digital protection framework. The Centre on Wednesday said it is studying global regulatory approaches to children’s online safety while reviewing India’s policy and legal framework for the digital ecosystem, amid heightened scrutiny of social media platforms over child protection issues, including the Commission for Protection of Child Rights’ (NCPCR) inquiry into Meta over alleged child sexual exploitative and abuse material (CSEAM) on Instagram. The government said digital technologies have significantly improved access to education, communication and innovation, but have also exposed children to risks such as harmful content, cyberbullying, online exploitation and digital addiction. The information was shared by Union Minister for Electronics and Information Technology Ashwini Vaishnaw, in a written reply in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday. Government Studying Global Regulatory Approaches The government said it keeps itself informed of global developments and evolving international regulatory approaches to protecting children in the digital environment. These developments are examined periodically while formulating or reviewing India’s domestic policy and legal framework, taking into account the country’s constitutional framework, legal requirements, technological ecosystem and the need to balance user safety, innovation, privacy and digital inclusion.
The Centre said it follows a consultative approach while framing laws governing the digital ecosystem and regularly engages with stakeholders to assess legal, policy and institutional frameworks for emerging issues in cyberspace in light of technological developments and public interest. IT Act, IT Rules Form Existing Safety Framework According to the government, the Information Technology Act, 2000, and the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021, together provide the framework for promoting digital well-being, user safeguards and responsible digital participation. The IT Rules require intermediaries to exercise due diligence and inform users not to host, upload, publish, transmit, modify or share content that is harmful to children or violates any law. Where violations involve offences under laws such as the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023, or the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012, intermediaries are required to report the offence to the appropriate authority in accordance with applicable law. The government also highlighted that recent amendments to the IT Rules require social media platforms and other intermediaries to remove unlawful content within three hours of receiving an order from a competent court or a reasoned intimation from the appropriate government or its agency. DPDP Act Protects Children’s Personal Data The government said the Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Act, 2023, establishes the legal framework for processing digital personal data and includes safeguards for children’s privacy online.
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