UK and Wales Alignment

Safeguarding Frameworks

• Children Act 1989 and 2004

• Working Together to Safeguard Children

• Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE)
  
  

Cyber Offences

• Malicious Communications Act

• Protection from Harassment Act

• Sexual Offences Act (online grooming)
  
  

Training Alignment

• Early identification

• Evidence preservation

• Victim-centred response

• Proportionate intervention

India Alignment

Legal Frameworks

• Information Technology Act, 2000

• IPC Sections related to stalking, intimidation, obscenity

• POCSO Act (online sexual exploitation of children)
  
  

Reporting Mechanisms

• National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal

• Cyber Crime Cells
  
  

Cultural Considerations

• Address stigma and fear of blame

• Emphasise confidentiality

• Engage guardians sensitively

INDIA: Policy-Relevant Insights and Actions

A. Data Insights in the Indian context

Key realities

• India has one of the youngest internet populations globally

• Smartphone-first access, often without parental supervision

• High use of WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook, and growing use of Snapchat

• Strong underreporting due to stigma, fear, and lack of awareness

Dominant harm patterns

Children

• Grooming and sexual exploitation are rising sharply

• Many cases originate on Instagram or Snapchat and move to WhatsApp

• NCRB data shows exponential growth in cybercrimes against children post-2019

Women

• Cyberstalking, non-consensual image sharing, and sexual harassment dominate

• Abuse is often persistent and identity-linked

• Political, caste, or gender-based abuse is common on Facebook and Instagram

Structural risks

• Shared family devices

• Low digital literacy in rural and semi-urban areas

• Weak awareness of reporting mechanisms

• Law enforcement capacity varies widely by state

B. India-specific policy actions

Platform regulation

• Mandatory child safety by design for platforms with significant Indian user bases

• Stronger age verification for accounts targeting minors

• Default privacy protections for under-18 users

Law enforcement

• Expand and strengthen Cyber Crime Police Stations in all districts

• Mandatory training on digital evidence, grooming, and image-based abuse

• Faster coordination between platforms and police under IT Act provisions

Education and awareness

• Digital safety education in schools from middle school onwards

• Campaigns in regional languages targeting parents and caregivers

• Normalise reporting through trusted, local institutions

Legal gaps to address

• Clearer definitions for cyberstalking and image-based abuse

• Faster takedown obligations for intimate content

• Victim support services linked to cybercrime reporting portals

UK: Policy-Relevant Insights and Actions

A. Data insights in the UK

Key realities

• Very high internet penetration among children

• Strong data collection and reporting compared to many countries

• Snapchat dominates grooming and exploitation cases

• Girls are disproportionately affected

Dominant harm patterns

Children

• Grooming via Snapchat is the single largest threat

• Sexual communication with children has increased sharply

• Abuse often involves repeated contact, not isolated incidents

Women

• Online abuse overlaps with offline domestic abuse and stalking

• Image-based abuse and threats are common

• Harassment often spans multiple platforms

Structural risks

• Rapid platform adoption outpaces regulation

• Abuse often hidden in private messages

• Victims report slow or inconsistent platform responses

B. UK-specific policy actions

Regulation and enforcement

• Full enforcement of the Online Safety Act

• Meaningful penalties for platforms that fail to protect minors

• Mandatory risk assessments for platforms popular with children

Platform responsibilities

• Stronger default protections for under-18s

• Detection and disruption of grooming networks

• Faster escalation paths for law enforcement referrals

Schools and safeguarding

• Mandatory digital safeguarding training for teachers

• Clear escalation pathways between schools, social services, and police

• Support services for victims of online abuse

Data and transparency

• Require platforms to publish disaggregated abuse data

• Regular independent audits of child safety measures

GLOBAL POLICY CONTEXT

A. Global patterns across countries

Common trends

• Girls and young women are consistently more targeted

• Grooming often starts on mainstream platforms, not fringe sites

• Abuse increasingly happens in private or encrypted spaces

• Image-based abuse and sextortion are rising worldwide

Unequal impacts

• Low- and middle-income countries face:

  • Weaker reporting systems

  • Limited enforcement capacity

  • Lower digital literacy

• High-income countries face:

  • Scale and speed of abuse

  • Platform accountability challenges

B. Global policy priorities

Platform accountability

• Global minimum standards for child safety

• Shared databases for known abusive material

• Cross-border cooperation on takedowns

AI and technology governance

• Use AI for abuse detection with strong privacy safeguards

• Prevent algorithmic amplification of harassment

• Transparent moderation and appeal processes

Victim-centred approach

• Trauma-informed reporting systems

• Easy access to mental health and legal support

• Protection against retaliation or further harm

International cooperation

• Harmonize laws on cyberstalking and image-based abuse

• Joint task forces for transnational grooming and exploitation

• Support capacity building in lower-income countries