Supreme Court Directs CSAM Regulations for Intermediaries, Rejects Social Media Ban for Children

India's Supreme Court has issued binding directions requiring all digital intermediaries to implement proactive child sexual exploitation and abuse material detection measures, including automated hash-based systems that cross-check content against a consolidated database, automatic deletion of identified material, accessible two-step reporting mechanisms with anonymity protections, and dedicated trained grievance officers for CSEAM. The Court declined to impose a blanket social media ban for children, opting instead for platform-level enforcement obligations.

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