Delhi Police File FIR Against Twitter For Child Sexual Abuse Content; Slap POSCO Charge

NCPCR had filed the complaint against the micro-blogging platform, post an inquiry found child sexual abuse material (CSAM) on the site.

(Representative Image/Getty)

New Delhi: Amid the ongoing tussle between Centre and Twitter over the new IT rules, Delhi Police Cyber Cell on Tuesday lodged an FIR against the micro-blogging site on a complaint it received from National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR). 

According to reports, the case has been registered against Twitter for reportedly displaying child pornographic content on its platform.

While speaking about the same, Delhi Police told news agency ANI that Cyber Cell has registered case under POCSO Act & IT Act against Twitter on the basis of a complaint from NCPCR citing availability of links/material pertaining to child exploitation. 

It also informed that complaint has been filed against Twitter Inc & Twitter Communication India Pvt Ltd. 

In May, NCPCR had filed the complaint against the micro-blogging platform, post an inquiry found child sexual abuse material (CSAM) on the site.

"Complaint filed against Twitter for providing misinformation and violating POCSO Act, FIR registered. We have written to Centre that children shouldn’t be given access to Twitter till the platform isn’t safe for them," NCPCR chief Priyank Kanoongo told the news agency.

Earlier Kanoongo also said that when the statutory body approached Twitter India regarding cases of child pornography on social media, Twitter India told the child rights panel that it is not responsible for child pornography material put on its website and that it fell under the ambit of Twitter Inc, based in the US.

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The FIR comes at a time when micro-blogging platform is already under pressure to comply with the new norms and has faced severe criticism from the government along with warnings of legal proceedings.

Meanwhile, Twitter has lost its status of intermediary platform in India over non-compliance to the new intermediary guidelines. As a result, the social media giant has lost its legal shield in the country from prosecution over posts.