Social media companies must act proactively on child safety, grievances, algorithmic transparency: Vaishnaw

Union Minister for Electronics & Information Technology Ashwini Vaishnaw addresses the launch of the Semicon 2.0 web application portal and announcement of approved applicants under ECMS, in New Delhi on November 6, 2026.

Social media platforms must take responsibility for content, necessary steps to ensure child safety, ensure measures on algorithmic transparency, and give citizens an effective voice to address grievances, IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said on Friday (November 6, 2026).

The Minister said that internet and social media landscape has changed, and asserted that platforms must proactively protect society from serious online harms, including "digital arrest" scams.

"Today, social media platforms must take the responsibility for child safety, for women's safety, for digital arrest, for the harms which come to the citizens... Unlike in the past, they must take proactive steps to make sure that our society is safe," said Mr. Vaishnaw, who is also Minister for Information and Broadcasting (I&B).

Mr. Vaishnaw further said citizens must be given a voice on these platforms. At present, he noted, if content on a platform causes serious harm, the only recourse available to a citizen is to approach the courts or the police. He called for a good and effective mechanism through which people's grievances can be addressed directly.

"If something is there on the social media platforms, which causes serious harm to the citizens, the citizens have only the recourse to go to the courts or go to the police. There has to be a good, very effective mechanism by which the citizens get voice to address their grievances," he said.

technology (general) / cybersecurity / cyber crime / social media