iWorld
Social media access can be blocked under specific conditions
NEW DELHI: The Government has said that Section 69A of the Information Technology Act 2000 provides for blocking access to information under specific conditions.
Answering a question about censoring new platforms for publication and broadcasting of media content like social networks and online video services, the minister of state for information and broadcasting Rajyavardhan Rathore told the Parliament that the Act has provisions for removal of objectionable online content.
The Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines) rules 2011 require that the Intermediaries shall observe due diligence while discharging their duties and shall inform the users of computer resources not to host, display, upload, modify, publish, transmit, update or share any information that is harmful, objectionable, affects minors and is unlawful in any way.
With regard to the use of social media by the Government, he said social media platforms are used to disseminate/ publicise information pertaining to Government policies and programmes.
The government has set up myGov as a social media platform for enabling greater people participation in matters relating to public policy.
Meanwhile, the ministry has categorically said it is not contemplating any regulatory framework for censorship of content appearing on the internet.
As far as OTT was concerned, sources in the ministry told indiantelevision.com that this was still a new subject, and the government would take action in the event of any complaints from viewers and subscribers.
At present, the government does not certify any programmes coming on television, but the sources reiterated that programming has to be in accordance with the guidelines of the Programme and Advertising Code apart from the Uplink and Downlink Guidelines.
The information and broadcasting ministry, sources said, has no control over films appearing online as this falls in the ambit of the IT Act which is administered by IT Ministry.
iWorld
Meta adds parent insights tool to track teens AI chatbot use
New feature shows conversation topics as scrutiny over child safety grows
MUMBAI: From “what are you watching?” to “what are you asking AI?” parenting just got an upgrade. In a sign of how quickly artificial intelligence has entered teenage life, Meta Platforms is giving parents a new window into what their children are discussing with chatbots. The company has introduced an “Insights” feature within its supervision tools, allowing parents to view the broad topics their teens have interacted with via Meta AI over the past seven days. The feature spans conversations across Facebook, Messenger, and Instagram, and is now live in markets including the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, and Brazil, with a wider rollout planned.
Rather than exposing exact chats, the tool categorises interactions into themes such as school, entertainment, lifestyle, travel, writing, and health and wellbeing. Each category can be explored further lifestyle, for instance, may include fashion or food, while health-related queries could range from fitness to mental wellbeing.
The move reflects a careful balancing act. On one hand, Meta is attempting to reassure parents amid growing concerns about how teens engage with AI. On the other, it stops short of full transparency, opting instead for aggregated insights rather than detailed transcripts.
This is not Meta’s first step in this direction. The company had previewed parental controls for AI interactions in October, including the ability to restrict specific AI characters. Those characters interactive personas inspired by professions or public figures such as Snoop Dogg and Paris Hilton were later pulled for teen users in January as the company reworked safeguards.
The timing of the update is far from accidental. It follows mounting legal and regulatory pressure around child safety, including a high-profile case in New Mexico where Meta was held liable over protections for minors. The ruling marked a significant moment in holding technology platforms accountable for how young users interact online.
Alongside the new feature, Meta is also nudging parents towards conversation rather than surveillance, introducing suggested prompts to help families discuss AI use more openly. It has also announced plans to set up an AI Wellbeing Expert Council to guide future product development for younger audiences.
The broader shift is clear, as AI becomes part of everyday teenage curiosity, the question is no longer whether kids are using it but how much their parents can see.
