Ashwini Vaishnaw calls on social media platforms to take proactive steps to ensure child safety – Storyboard18

Union Minister for Electronics and Information Technology Ashwini Vaishnaw has called on social media platforms to take comprehensive and proactive measures to ensure child safety, protect citizens from online harms and establish effective grievance redressal mechanisms.Emphasising the importance of online safety for future generations, Vaishnaw said social media platforms must take all necessary steps to safeguard children's mental and physical health, as well as the overall well-being of society.He stressed the need for greater algorithmic transparency and stronger safeguards to ensure that users, particularly children, are not exposed to inappropriate or harmful content. He also highlighted serious online threats, including digital arrest scams, and said platforms must take effective measures to mitigate such risks and ensure the safety of citizens.The minister further underlined the need to give citizens a stronger voice in addressing grievances arising from social media platforms. He pointed out that when users face serious harm through content or activities on these platforms, their existing options are largely limited to approaching the police or seeking legal recourse through courts.He said the government has repeatedly raised these concerns in Parliament and communicated them to social media companies, urging them to take concrete steps to strengthen citizen grievance mechanisms.Responding to a question on whether the government was considering removing the safe harbour provision for social media companies, Vaishnaw said the nature of the social media ecosystem and the internet had changed significantly.Referring to his statements in Parliament, the minister said social media platforms could no longer remain passive and must assume greater responsibility for the harms taking place in the online environment.He specifically called on platforms to take responsibility for child safety, women's safety and the growing threat of digital arrest, along with other forms of online harm affecting citizens.Vaishnaw reiterated that social media companies must move beyond their earlier approach and adopt proactive measures to prevent harm, rather than merely responding after incidents occur."Unlike the past, they must take proactive steps to make sure that our society is safe," he said.The minister's remarks underline the government's emphasis on greater accountability of social media platforms, stronger online safety measures, algorithmic transparency and accessible grievance redressal systems in response to emerging digital threats.His remarks come amid heightened scrutiny of Meta over allegations that advertisements on its platforms, particularly Instagram, promoted or facilitated access to Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM). The issue has drawn the attention of the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) and the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), triggering regulatory scrutiny and investigations.Most recently, the Delhi Police Special Cell registered an FIR over the alleged circulation of child sexual abuse material on Meta-operated platforms. The FIR, registered on October 8 under Sections 67 and 67B of the Information Technology Act, followed directions from the NHRC. The complaint reportedly flagged around 10 links, and the matter is under investigation.The conversation highlighted a fundamental shift underway in the relationship between audiences, platforms and brands. Rather than treating Gen Z as a uniform consumer segment, marketers are increasingly having to account for individual behaviours, fragmented content consumption and a stronger expectationStoryboard18 brings you top five news updates from the world of advertising, marketing, and business of brands. Special Coverage“Range matters now”: Microsoft’s Puneet Chandok, GrowthSchool’s Vaibhav Sisinty on the skills that will define Gen Z careersSpecial Coverage“Range matters now”: Microsoft’s Puneet Chandok, GrowthSchool’s Vaibhav Sisinty on the skills that will define Gen Z careersSpecial Coverage‘Somebody else will do it’ mindset must change: Tukaram Mundhe on his vision for India at Storyboard18 Global GenZ SummitSpecial Coverage‘The real pink slip in the AI era is your refusal to learn’: Microsoft's Puneet Chandoksource