Intermediary Liability In The Digital Age: Judicial Enforcement And The Ramkumar Decision

Introduction

As India's digital ecosystem rapidly expands, courts and regulators are increasingly confronted with the challenge of online harm, ranging from child sexual abuse material (CSAM) and non-consensual intimate imagery (NCII) to defamatory and unlawful content. Central to this challenge is the doctrine of intermediary liability: how far should digital platforms be held accountable for the content they host?

The recent decision of the Madras High Court in Ramkumar v. Union of India (2025) provides a critical perspective on the judicial expectations from intermediaries and the State in preventing access to content involving child sexual exploitation.

Legal Framework for Intermediary Liability