The National Commission of Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) has written to WhatsApp, Facebook, Twitter and Telegram over the issue of illegal social media posts offering children orphaned due to COVID-19 for adoption and warned them that failure to report such posts will invite “strict action”.
“It is requested that in cases where such posts are posted on your online social media platforms, information about the same must be reported to the law enforcement authorities and/or National Commission or State Commission of the State/ UT concerned and provide the details of the IP address, origin of the post and other such relevant details,” NCPCR chairperson Priyank Kanoongo wrote in a letter on June 13.
The apex child rights body has also demanded an action taken report “within 10 days” from each of the four entities.
The Juvenile Justice (JJ) Act, 2015, provides for a jail term of up to three years, or a fine of ₹1 lakh rupees for adoptions that violate the procedure laid down under the Act. It also punishes sale or purchase with jail of up to five years or fine of ₹1 lakh or both.
Last week, the Supreme Court ordered States and UTs to take stringent action against private individuals and NGOs who invited people to illegally adopt children orphaned by the COVID-19 pandemic and stated that no adoption of affected children should be permitted contrary to the provisions of the JJ Act, 2015.
