What happened: coordinated institutional framework for online child protection

The Ministry of Women and Child Development, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), and the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) have put in place a coordinated institutional framework to prevent, detect and combat online sexual abuse and exploitation of children. The government frames the aim as enabling an open, safe, trusted, and accountable internet for users, including women and children.

Legal background: criminal law on child sexual offences (including online)

The framework draws on child-protection criminal laws that cover online sexual abuse and exploitation.

Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012 includes online sexual abuse within its coverage through offences that target sexual harassment, pornography, and possession/storage related crimes.Section 12 of the POCSO Act prescribes punishment for sexual harassment of a child, including through electronic or online means, such as making sexually coloured remarks, showing pornographic material, or repeatedly contacting a child with sexual intent.Section 13 criminalises the use of a child for pornographic purposes in any form of media (electronic, printed, or broadcast).Section 14 provides graded punishment for first and subsequent offences.Section 15 prescribes graded punishment for storing or possessing pornographic material involving children, based on the nature and purpose of the offence.

Background: strengthening criminal coverage through Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023

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