Supreme Court bars platforms from hosting child sexual abuse material behind paywalls
Key facts
- On 15 October 2026, a Bench of Justices J.B. Pardiwala and K. Vinod Chandran flagged non-compliance with its 2024 directions.
- Every intermediary must ensure no CSEAM is offered, hosted or promoted through a paywall or subscription.
- Revenue earned from such content should be forfeited and disgorged.
- The Court asked the Centre to consider exemplary fines under the IT Act and IT Rules.
Why it matters
[SC Ruling] The Court acted because platforms ignored its 2024 directions. It targets indirect links and algorithmic promotion that bypass Section 15 of the POCSO Act and Section 67B of the IT Act. Revenue forfeiture is a new enforcement tool. Use it in GS-2 on intermediary liability and child protection.