YouTube India faces legal heat as police file case over 'indecent' mother-son videos

The Maharashtra Police has initiated legal action against YouTube India after concerns were raised by the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) regarding "indecent content" featuring mothers and sons on the platform.

On January 11, a case was filed against YouTube India, with a specific YouTube channel operator also facing charges under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO) for the creation and dissemination of controversial "challenge videos" depicting intimate acts between mothers and adolescent sons.

NCPCR, spearheading the investigation, has summoned YouTube India's government affairs and public policy head, Mira Chatt, to appear before the commission in person on January 15. The commission has requested a comprehensive list of channels featuring such content.

The 'challenge videos' in question have sparked outrage as they showcase acts, including kisses, between mothers and their teenage sons. NCPCR Chief Priyank Kanoongo expressed concern in a letter to Mira Chatt, stating that the commission had taken serious note of the alarming trend on YouTube channels engaging in challenges that depict potentially indecent acts involving mothers and sons.

Speaking to India Today TV, Kanoongo emphasized the violation of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012, by several challenge videos on YouTube. He asserted, "YouTube will have to fix this. Offenders will have to go to jail. The commercialization of such videos is like selling porn. Any platform featuring videos where children have been sexually abused will have to face legal consequences."