A year after the Supreme Court laid down directions to curb child sexual abuse material online, it wanted to know what the government had actually done. When neither the IT Ministry nor the Law Ministry filed the report it had sought, the Court, calling the matter ‘extremely serious’, granted one last opportunity, and asked the Ministries to spell out the precautions they would take to prevent lapses by social media platforms.
New Delhi: The Supreme Court has granted the Union Government one last opportunity to file its report on the steps taken to give meaningful effect to the Court’s directions to curb child sexual abuse material (CSAM), after the concerned Ministries failed to place their compliance reports on record [Just Rights for Children Alliance and Another v. S. Harish and Others].
A Bench of Justice J.B. Pardiwala and Justice K. Vinod Chandran, hearing a miscellaneous application in the matter, recorded that, despite its earlier order of August 14, 2026 directing the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) and the Ministry of Law and Justice to file their counter or report, no such counter or report had come on record. “The matter before us is extremely serious,” the Court observed.
What the Court directed
Giving both Ministries a final opportunity, the Court directed that their report should clearly explain what steps they had taken to give meaningful effect to the directions issued in the Court’s main judgment of September 23, 2024, and what steps had been taken so far to curb the menace highlighted in the application. The report, the Court added, should also indicate, in so many words, what precautions the Government would take in future to prevent lapses on the part of social media intermediaries.
The Court noted that a Scientist ‘G’ from MeitY was personally present in court, and posted the matter for further hearing on October 15, 2026.
The background
The proceedings arise from the Supreme Court’s judgment of September 23, 2024 in Just Rights for Children Alliance v. S. Harish, in which the Court held that the viewing, possession and storage of child sexual abuse material attracts penal liability under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and the Information Technology Act, and issued a series of directions to strengthen the legal and institutional response to such material, including obligations on intermediaries and measures for awareness and victim support. The Court had also recommended that Parliament consider replacing the term “child pornography” with “child sexual exploitative and abuse material” to reflect the true nature of the offence.
The present miscellaneous application concerns the implementation of those directions, and the continuing problem the applicants say persists. It was in that context that the Court had sought a compliance report from the Government, the non-filing of which led to the present order granting a last opportunity.
Why it matters
The order reflects the Court’s continuing supervision of the implementation of its own directions on a subject it has treated as one of grave public concern, the circulation of child sexual abuse material and the protection of children online. A judgment laying down the law and issuing directions is only as effective as its implementation on the ground, and the Court’s insistence on a compliance report, and its displeasure at the Government’s failure to file one, underscore that the directions in the 2024 judgment were not intended to remain on paper.
The specific focus on the role of social media intermediaries is significant. Much of the material the 2024 judgment was concerned with circulates on online platforms, and the Court’s direction that the Government explain what precautions it will take to prevent lapses by intermediaries places the accountability of these platforms, and of the regulators overseeing them, at the centre of the enforcement question. The personal presence of a senior MeitY officer indicates the seriousness with which the Court expects the Government to treat the matter.
Nothing further has been decided at this stage; the Court has granted time and awaited the Government’s report. The outcome will turn on what the Ministries place before the Court on the next date, in particular, the concrete steps taken to give effect to the 2024 directions and to guard against future lapses. The matter is listed for October 15, 2026.
Case Title: Just Rights for Children Alliance and Another v. S. Harish and Others [MA No. 2553-2554/2026 in Crl.A. No. 2161-2162/2024]
Bench: Justice J.B. Pardiwala and Justice K. Vinod Chandran, Supreme Court of India
Date of Order: September 24, 2026
Status: Last opportunity granted to MeitY and the Ministry of Law and Justice to file a compliance report on steps taken to implement the Court’s 2024 CSAM directions and to prevent lapses by social media intermediaries. Listed October 15, 2026.
This report concerns a matter relating to the safety of children. If you or someone you know needs support, the childline 1098 and the police helpline 112 can direct you to assistance.