UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — Curb dissemination of porn through apps, HC tells Google, Apple

Question 1

The following are penalised as distinct offences under the Information Technology Act, 2000. Which of the above is/are NOT correctly identified?

Accepted Answer

4 only

Answer

1 only

Answer

2 and 3

Answer

1, 2 and 3

Question 2

Under the Information Technology Act, 2000, Section 67A — as distinguished from Section 67 — specifically penalises the publishing or transmitting in electronic form of material that contains:

Accepted Answer

Material depicting a sexually explicit act or conduct

Answer

Any material that is lascivious or appeals to the prurient interest

Answer

Material depicting a child in a sexually explicit act

Answer

Material that is grossly offensive or has a menacing character

Question 3

Under the IT (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021, how many officers/personnel — all required to be resident in India — must a significant social media intermediary appoint as part of additional due diligence?

Accepted Answer

Three

Answer

Two

Answer

Four

Answer

Five

Question 4

In the 2026 PIL before the Delhi High Court, the failure of app-store intermediaries to appoint compliance and grievance officers in India was alleged as a breach of which Rule of the IT (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021?

Accepted Answer

Rule 4

Answer

Rule 3

Answer

Rule 7

Answer

Rule 9

Question 5

The 'safe harbour' exemption, under which an intermediary is not liable for third-party information it hosts or transmits provided it observes due diligence, is contained in which Section of the Information Technology Act, 2000?

Accepted Answer

Section 79

Answer

Section 66A

Answer

Section 69A

Answer

Section 70B

Question 6

As read down by the Supreme Court in Shreya Singhal v. Union of India (2015), an intermediary is obliged to remove or disable unlawful content, for the purpose of retaining its Section 79 exemption, only upon:

Accepted Answer

Actual knowledge through a court order or a government notification

Answer

Receipt of any complaint from a private user

Answer

Detection by its own automated content filters

Answer

A written request from the affected individual

Question 7

Under the CERT-In directions issued in 2022 under the IT Act, 2000, within how many hours of noticing or being informed of a cyber security incident must an affected entity report it to CERT-In?

Accepted Answer

6 hours

Answer

24 hours

Answer

48 hours

Answer

72 hours

Question 8

CERT-In, operating under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, is designated under Section 70B of the IT Act, 2000 as the national nodal agency primarily for:

Accepted Answer

Cyber security incident response

Answer

Enforcement of personal data protection

Answer

Licensing of telecom service providers

Answer

Investigation of online financial fraud

Question 9

The 2026 direction ordering Google and Apple to curb dissemination of pornographic content through apps on their stores was issued by which single judicial forum?

Accepted Answer

Delhi High Court

Answer

Supreme Court of India

Answer

Bombay High Court

Answer

Madras High Court

Question 10

With respect to the Delhi High Court's 2026 order on pornographic apps, consider the following statements:
1. The PIL was filed by Rubika Thapa.
2. Notices were issued to Google, Apple, the Union government and CERT-In.
3. The Bench imposed an immediate blanket ban removing all the impugned apps.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

Accepted Answer

1 and 2 only

Answer

1 only

Answer

2 and 3 only

Answer

1, 2 and 3

Question 11

The obscenity provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 (e.g. Section 294 on sale of obscene material, replacing IPC Section 292) are administered as general criminal law primarily by which Union ministry?

Accepted Answer

Ministry of Home Affairs

Answer

Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology

Answer

Ministry of Law and Justice

Answer

Ministry of Information and Broadcasting

Question 12

In Shreya Singhal v. Union of India (2015) — the leading precedent on intermediary liability — how many Sections of the Information Technology Act, 2000 did the Supreme Court strike down in their entirety as unconstitutional?

Accepted Answer

One

Answer

Two

Answer

Three

Answer

Four

UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — Curb dissemination of porn through apps, HC tells Google, Apple

Q1. The following are penalised as distinct offences under the Information Technology Act, 2000. Which of the above is/are NOT correctly identified?

Q2. Under the Information Technology Act, 2000, Section 67A — as distinguished from Section 67 — specifically penalises the publishing or transmitting in electronic form of material that contains:

Q3. Under the IT (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021, how many officers/personnel — all required to be resident in India — must a significant social media intermediary appoint as part of additional due diligence?

Q4. In the 2026 PIL before the Delhi High Court, the failure of app-store intermediaries to appoint compliance and grievance officers in India was alleged as a breach of which Rule of the IT (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021?

Q5. The 'safe harbour' exemption, under which an intermediary is not liable for third-party information it hosts or transmits provided it observes due diligence, is contained in which Section of the Information Technology Act, 2000?

Q6. As read down by the Supreme Court in Shreya Singhal v. Union of India (2015), an intermediary is obliged to remove or disable unlawful content, for the purpose of retaining its Section 79 exemption, only upon:

Q7. Under the CERT-In directions issued in 2022 under the IT Act, 2000, within how many hours of noticing or being informed of a cyber security incident must an affected entity report it to CERT-In?

Q8. CERT-In, operating under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, is designated under Section 70B of the IT Act, 2000 as the national nodal agency primarily for:

Q9. The 2026 direction ordering Google and Apple to curb dissemination of pornographic content through apps on their stores was issued by which single judicial forum?

Q11. The obscenity provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 (e.g. Section 294 on sale of obscene material, replacing IPC Section 292) are administered as general criminal law primarily by which Union ministry?

Q12. In Shreya Singhal v. Union of India (2015) — the leading precedent on intermediary liability — how many Sections of the Information Technology Act, 2000 did the Supreme Court strike down in their entirety as unconstitutional?