Supreme Court Directs Centre and Social Media Platforms to Remove Child Sexual Abuse Material Immediately, Seeks Status Report by December 10

The Supreme Court has issued a set of sweeping directions to the Union government and social media platforms to detect and remove child sexual exploitation and abuse material from the internet without delay. The directions came in a judgment delivered on October 15, 2026, by a bench of Justices J B Pardiwala and K Vinod Chandran, and the Centre has been asked to report on compliance by December 10, 2026.

The Case Behind the Order

The proceedings arose from an application filed by the Just Rights for Children Alliance, which sought effective implementation of the court's September 23, 2024 judgment. That earlier ruling dealt with the obligations of social media intermediaries to report suspected offences involving child sexual abuse material and clarified that compliance with the Information Technology Act does not free intermediaries from their duties under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act. The court had earlier given the Centre a last opportunity to file its counter-affidavit and an action-taken report, and it had asked for a draft standard operating procedure.

Immediate Detection and Removal

The bench directed the Centre, in coordination with intermediaries such as Facebook, Instagram, Telegram and YouTube, to immediately detect and remove child sexual exploitation and abuse material, referred to as CSEAM. The court expressed concern that the material continues to circulate despite its 2024 directions and noted that non-compliance by platforms had been flagged repeatedly without any action being taken.

A National Hash and URL Database

One of the most significant directions is the creation of a National Hash and URL List Database, to be used solely for detecting and removing such content. The Centre has been asked to frame guidelines or standard operating procedures for the use of perceptual hash matching and URL listing by all significant social media intermediaries. The court also asked for suitable amendments to the IT Act and the IT Rules where required, and for the proper scrutiny of paywalled and subscription-based content by intermediaries so that abusive material hidden behind payment barriers does not escape detection.

Faster Handling of Complaints

The bench ruled that every report or complaint relating to CSEAM must be acknowledged within twenty-four hours of receipt and must carry a reference number so that its progress can be tracked. Intermediaries are also obliged to promptly report such material to the proper authorities under the law and to the designated body that manages the database. These steps are aimed at ensuring that complaints do not disappear into a void, a common frustration for victims, parents and activists.

Heavy Penalties for Platforms

The court asked the Centre to consider a framework for exemplary monetary fines on intermediaries that breach their duties under the IT Act and the IT Rules. It said the size of any penalty should reflect the gravity, duration and recurrence of the default as well as the size and turnover of the platform, so that large companies cannot treat fines as a routine cost of doing business.

Education and Next Steps

The judgment also touches on digital safety education for children, and the Centre has been directed to take steps through the Ministries of Electronics and Information Technology and Law and Justice. The government must file an affidavit on implementation progress by the next hearing on December 10, 2026. The order is expected to put significant pressure on technology companies and on the government to turn long-standing promises into enforceable systems, and child rights groups are likely to monitor compliance closely.

This report is based on published news coverage of the Supreme Court's judgment. The legal text of the order should be consulted for exact wording of the directions.