Ashwini Vaishnaw Urges Social Media Platforms To Strengthen Child Safety, Grievance Redressal | #childsafety | #kids | #chldern | #parents | #schoolsafey

The government is pushing social media platforms to take greater responsibility for online safety, with Union Minister for Electronics and Information Technology Ashwini Vaishnaw calling for stronger safeguards to protect children, women and other vulnerable users.Vaishnaw has urged platforms to introduce comprehensive measures to address risks to children’s mental and physical well-being, strengthen grievance redressal systems and improve transparency around the algorithms that determine the content users see.The minister also flagged emerging digital threats, including digital arrest scams, stressing the need for platforms to prevent online harm rather than respond only after incidents occur.A key concern is the limited recourse available to citizens facing harmful content or activities online. Vaishnaw pointed out that users often have to approach the police or courts to seek remedies, highlighting the need for accessible and effective complaint mechanisms that allow citizens to raise concerns and obtain redressal.He said the government had repeatedly raised issues around online safety in Parliament and communicated its concerns to social media companies. Platforms, he indicated, must translate these discussions into concrete action, particularly around the protection of children and women.Government Seeks Greater Platform AccountabilityThe minister’s remarks also bring renewed attention to the accountability of social media companies and the safe harbour protections they enjoy.Asked whether the government was considering withdrawing the safe harbour provision, Vaishnaw pointed to the significant changes in the internet and social media ecosystem. He reiterated that platforms could no longer remain passive when harmful activities take place through their services and must adopt proactive safeguards.The emphasis, therefore, is shifting beyond content removal and post-incident complaint handling towards preventing harmful material and activities from reaching users in the first place.Algorithmic transparency is another priority. The government wants greater visibility into how platforms recommend and distribute content, alongside stronger safeguards to ensure children and vulnerable users are not exposed to inappropriate material.Meta Faces Scrutiny Over Child SafetyThe minister’s comments come amid increased regulatory scrutiny of Meta over allegations concerning advertisements on its platforms, particularly Instagram, that allegedly promoted or facilitated access to child sexual abuse material (CSAM).The matter has drawn the attention of the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) and the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), raising questions about Meta’s content moderation and platform safety practices.In a related development, the Delhi Police Special Cell registered an FIR on October 8 under Sections 67 and 67B of the Information Technology Act over the alleged circulation of child sexual abuse material on Meta-operated platforms. The FIR followed directions from the NHRC and reportedly flagged around 10 links. The matter is under investigation, and the allegations are yet to be established.The episode has further intensified scrutiny of how social media companies identify, remove and prevent harmful material from circulating, as well as how they respond to complaints from users and regulatory authorities.Vaishnaw’s remarks underline the government’s broader push for stronger platform accountability. For social media companies, the challenge increasingly extends beyond moderating content to making recommendation systems more transparent, protecting vulnerable users and establishing effective mechanisms through which citizens can seek redressal.

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