A place where women and children can move freely, safely, and without fear is truly the mark of good governance. When law and order break down, the first and most vulnerable victims are often children and women. Even after more than three-quarters of a century of independence, the stark reality remains: most cities in India are still unsafe for women at night. Delhi, the nation's capital—home to the country's rulers and lawmakers—continues to be a dangerous place for women to walk alone after dark.

Despite existing laws and cultural assurances made in public speeches, the promise to safeguard women and children often rings hollow. While grown women may have the agency to recognize abuse, react and report, the same cannot be said for young boys and girls. They may not even understand that they are being exploited, which makes them easy targets for predators. Any cruelty towards children, therefore, must be met with the harshest punishment possible. Unfortunately, cases of child exploitation continue to make daily headlines, revealing the scale of the issue.

Against this backdrop, the recent Supreme Court judgment, which clarifies that the private viewing, storage, and transmission of child pornography is an offence, is a step in the right direction. This ruling is especially notable as it overturns a previous judgment by the Madras High Court, which had suggested that privately storing and viewing such content should not be considered a crime.

The Supreme Court wisely pointed out that there is no distinction between watching scenes of child sexual exploitation and actively exploiting children. If viewing child pornography were not considered a crime, it would only encourage the secret sharing and reproduction of such materials, fostering a culture of abuse. The Court’s three-judge bench, headed by Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud, has delivered a landmark verdict that could help curb such heinous crimes.

In its ruling, the Court also recommended that the central government consider amending the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act by replacing the term "child pornography" with "documents of sexual exploitation of children." This semantic shift highlights the gravity of such content, treating it not merely as illicit pornography but as a documentation of abuse.

Global networks of predators target vulnerable children, often threatening them and exploiting their circumstances. The Supreme Court's ruling is a critical move towards preventing these dangerous actors from gaining a foothold in India. The growth of the internet has only exacerbated these crimes, making children more accessible to perpetrators. The ease with which anyone can privately access pornographic material via smartphones has serious social consequences. The Supreme Court’s judgment recognizes this and aims to protect children, keeping them safe from harm in an increasingly digital world.