Social Media Companies Must Be Accountable for Child Safety and Algorithmic Transparency

Union Minister for Electronics and Information Technology Ashwini Vaishnaw, on Friday, November 6, 2026, called upon social media platforms to take responsibility for their content and ensure the safety of citizens. Speaking at the launch of the Semicon 2.0 web application portal in New Delhi, he stated that social media companies must take necessary steps for the protection of children and ensure standards of algorithmic transparency.

Minister Vaishnaw emphasised that the landscape of the internet and social media has now changed. He said that platforms must work proactively to protect society from serious online harm, specifically including frauds such as 'digital arrest'. He clarified that it is now imperative for social media platforms to take responsibility for the safety of children, the safety of women, and other harms caused to citizens.

He further added, "Compared to the past, they must now take proactive steps to ensure that our society remains safe." The Minister regarded the role of social media companies as crucial in this matter.

Speaking on the redressal of citizens' grievances, Ashwini Vaishnaw noted that currently, if a citizen suffers serious harm due to content on a platform, their only option is to contact the court or the police. He expressed concern over this situation and demanded that citizens should have an opportunity to raise their voice on the platforms.

He said, "If there is something on social media platforms that causes serious harm to citizens, citizens only have the options of going to court or going to the police. There should be a good and very effective mechanism through which citizens can directly raise their voice for the redressal of their grievances."

According to a report by The Hindu, Ashwini Vaishnaw is serving as the Union Minister for Electronics and Information Technology as well as the Minister for Information and Broadcasting (I&B). On this occasion, he adopted a strict stance on the issues of digital security and transparency and alerted tech companies to their social responsibilities.