Supreme Court Petition Seeks To Ban Pornographic Content On Social Media Platforms

A petition has been filed in the Supreme Court urging the Centre to take measures to prevent social media platforms from displaying obscene or pornographic material, citing concerns about the escalation of sexual crimes.

The Public Interest Litigation (PIL) was filed by Paediatric Surgeon Sanjay Kulshresthra, who expressed alarm over the easy access to pornographic material through mobile internet. Kulshresthra argued that such accessibility not only distorts sexual behavior but also contributes to a significant increase in sexual offenses against minor girls.

The plea calls upon the Supreme Court to direct relevant authorities, including the Union ministries of Electronics and Information Technology, Home Affairs, and Women and Child Development, to enforce provisions under the Information Technology Act.

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The objective is to ensure that social media platforms undertake reasonable efforts to prevent users from hosting, displaying, uploading, modifying, publishing, transmitting, storing, or sharing obscene or pornographic material.

Highlighting the widespread availability of pornography through easily accessible and nearly free internet services, particularly on mobile phones, the PIL identifies this phenomenon as a significant factor contributing to the rising incidence of rapes and sexual assaults against children.

"Although there could be many reasons for the alarming rise in rapes in children, the petitioner has found that availability of easy, almost free internet making pornography available 24 hours, especially on mobile phones to all age groups, to all economic classes, could be a significant cause," the PIL said as reported by news agency PTI.

The petitioner contends that the pervasive nature of pornographic content, easily accessible on mobile devices across diverse socioeconomic backgrounds, exacerbates the vulnerability of minors and perpetuates a culture of sexual violence.

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The PIL underscores the role of pornography consumption in fostering a casual attitude among men toward sexual violence against women. By advocating for stricter regulation of online content, the petitioner aims to curb the normalisation of harmful behaviors and promote a safer digital environment for all users.