Introduction

NCPCR, a statutory body under the Commission for Protection of Child Rights Act, 2005, now issues cyber safety guidelines and runs online complaint channels like POCSO e‑Box to protect children online amid rising risks from social media, gaming, data misuse, and CSAM.

Body

Existing policies:

• IT Act/Rules: The law bans making or sharing sexual content involving children, and the 2021 online rules make platforms fix complaints faster, find such content early, and, when required for child safety, help identify who first sent it.
• POCSO Act and e‑Box: POCSO criminalises online exploitation and POCSO’s e‑Box enables confidential digital complaints by children or guardians.
• Data protection: Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 requires verifiable parental consent and restricts tracking/targeted ads for minors; draft rules in 2025 operationalise consent checks.
• National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal & CERT-In guidelines: The portal allows reporting of child‑related cybercrimes and CERT‑In coordination supports quick takedowns and swift responses.

Challenges to existing policies:

• Age‑verification gap: Weak KYC/age checks let minors access gambling and adult content. NCPCR flagged non‑compliance on gambling apps and sought action from MeitY.
• Inadequate Platform cooperation: NCPCR has pressed global platforms for stronger Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM) reporting, age‑gating, and parental consent workflows, indicating uneven safety practices.
• Privacy–safety trade‑offs: Tracing originators and proactive scanning for CSAM raise privacy and encryption concerns, complicating enforcement and platform design.
• Low reporting and awareness: Despite portals, many cases go unreported due to stigma, lack of awareness, or fear, limiting the effectiveness of redress systems.

Suggested Measures for NCPCR

• Standard age checks: Create a clear rulebook for checking a child’s age online, with stronger checks for riskier apps.
• Built-in safety reviews: Make high‑risk apps pass regular child‑safety reviews and publish simple public scorecards of results.
• Single help window: Link e‑Box, the Cyber Crime Portal, and 112/1098 so families report once and get fast help.
• Teach students and parents: Hold quarterly school sessions using “Being Safe Online,” train teachers, and share easy parent guides.
• Check data practices: Inspect EdTech and ad‑tech handling children’s data; fine violators and require fixes with follow‑ups.

Conclusion

These steps bring laws, apps, and families together for child‑first online safety through better age checks, safer design, one‑place reporting, and strong data privacy. With regular audits and school lessons, NCPCR can cut CSAM, grooming, addictive features, and data misuse while keeping useful access.

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