NEW DELHI, 3 Mar: The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) has sought action against an app for allegedly disseminating explicit and objectionable material, including content targeted at children.
The move comes in response to a complaint filed with the NCPCR that raised serious concerns regarding the accessibility of explicit content through these apps, which lack stringent age-verification measures, the apex child rights body said in a letter to the union electronics & information technology ministry.
Specific shows within these apps are accused of depicting explicit sexual scenes and storylines – with screenshots submitted as evidence – showing disturbing portrayals of sexual intercourse involving schoolchildren, it said.
The absence of proper know your customer (KYC) or any age-verification system is deemed to violate Section 11 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, it observed.
The NCPCR has invoked Section 13 of the Commissions for Protection of Child Rights (CPCR) Act and urged the authorities to investigate the matter thoroughly and take necessary action against the apps and the platforms hosting obscene content, in accordance with the law.
It has also requested the ministry to implement stringent measures, including mandatory KYC procedures, for similar applications to prevent minors from accessing inappropriate content. (PTI)