NCPCR issues notice to Google, WhatsApp, Twitter over child sexual abuse material
Apex child rights body NCPCR has issued notice to Google, Twitter and WhatsApp to highlight its concern over more traffic for child pornography from India through these platforms during lockdown.
The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights has started an unbiased inquiry on option of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) online and predicated on evidence found so far, the NCPCR has given these online platforms time till April 30 to respond to the notice.
The NCPCR, in its notices, cites a recently available report by India Child Protection Fund that showed a steep spike searches for CSAM online during the lockdown.
In the notice to Twitter India, NCPCR states, "It is seen that according to your standard conditions and conditions, a person of 13 years and above is permitted open a merchant account on Twitter. When you are allowing children at the age of 13 to open a merchant account, the commission is of the view that you can't permit the other users to create, propagate pornographic material, links etc. on Twitter."
"Another concern of the commission is that the accessibility of the pornographic material to the kids through these links on Twitter," it said.
"The commission also pointed out that there are encrypted WhatsApp groups and the CSAM is rampantly within these groups. The links to these groups were found to be propagated by various handles on Twitter. The NCPCR is of the view that propagating links of the WhatsApp groups on Twitter handles is a significant matter," it said.
In its notice to Google India, it said, "It really is noticed during inquiry that pornographic material is obtainable through the apps on Google Play Store. By mere downloading these software from the platform the user can access such material."
"That is enabling accessibility of the children to such material. Addititionally there is opportunity that the CSAM can be available on these software so that it is much grave issue," it said.
While conducting the independent inquiry on availability of CSAM, the commission pointed out that there are particular links available to join "encrypted WhatsApp groups" and the "CSAM and pornographic material is rampantly present in these groups.
The links to these "encrypted WhatsApp groups" were found to be propagated and on the web. Any user by merely following these links can join these "encrypted WhatsApp groups and will have the CSAM and pornographic material through these group chats on their phones, it said.
"The links to these groups were found to be propagated by various handles on Twitter. The commission is of the view that propagating links of the WhatsApp groups on Twitter handles is a serious matter," NCPCR said in its notice to WhatsApp India.
