Detailed discussion needed on blocking access to child porn: Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu

Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu on Wednesday said he would like the Parliament to discuss in detail the issue of children's access to pornography, as he mooted the idea of exploring the options to bring out a legislation to tackle the menace.

Naidu said he would speak to Law and Information Technology Minister Ravishankar Prasad and HRD Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal 'Nishank' on the issue, days after an adhoc committee appointed by him submitted its report recommending changes in law to block children's access to pornography.

"I wish there is a detailed discussion in Parliament. I have been interacting with people and hearing their views. There are news about boys raping women, in some cases even teachers. We need to do something. I will be speaking to Prasad and the HRD Minister about the possibility of a legislation," he told a select group of journalists.

The 14-member adhoc panel led by Congress MP Jairam Ramesh, which was constituted by Naidu on December 12 last year after MPs raised concern over children's access to pornography as well as spread of child pornography, submitted its report last month.

It had recommended mandatory APPs that can monitor access to pornography on all devices sold in India, permission to break end-to-end encryption to trace distributors of such content and penal provisions for cyber grooming among others. It also recommended changes in existing laws.

Among the 40 recommendations of the panel also included “separate adult sections” for streaming platforms like Netflix and social media websites like Twitter and Facebook as well as a broader definition of child pornography, controlling access for children to such content, holding Internet Service Providers for providing access and disseminating such content besides calling for international alliance against child abuse.