India's Supreme Court Proposes Rules for Identifying CSAM Material

India's Supreme Court has proposed new regulations that would mandate online service providers to identify, remove, and report Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM). The order, spanning 137 pages, emphasizes the need for more effective content moderation while rejecting proposals to ban children's access to social media or implement age-based restrictions.

The court suggests establishing a national database containing 'perpetual hashing' and URLs of identified CSAM material. This database would assist various platforms in identifying and removing similar content more efficiently, improving the current practice where only individual reports lead to content removal from a single platform.

The proposed framework also includes clear procedures for a grievance redressal mechanism, designated officials for CSAM content, and requirements for monthly compliance reports. The court recommends considering financial penalties for service providers that fail to comply, as well as stricter enforcement for CSAM content found behind paywalls.

The government has been asked to submit an affidavit before the next hearing on December 10, outlining progress and steps taken. If the government accepts and implements this proposed framework, it could significantly alter how online service providers handle CSAM content in India.