I wanted to burn down social media at that point: Tollywood actor Sai Durga Tej on YouTuber child abuse case

HYDERABAD

More than a year after four YouTubers, including Praneeth Hanumantu, were booked for making inappropriate remarks about a girl child during a live stream, Tollywood actor Sai Durga Tej (earlier known as Sai Dharam Tej) said he was compelled to intervene publicly as no one was taking action against the accused.

Speaking to The Hindu on the sidelines of Abhayam, a summit on child safety organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) in Hyderabad on Saturday (September 13, 2025), the actor said that he personally followed the case with the Cyber Crime police and ensured action was taken.

“I wanted to burn down social media at that time. I put out a tweet and was waiting for the media or someone to pick it up, but no one did. I was feeling very bad about the matter. This is when I tagged the police and the goverment,” Tej said.

The incident dates back to July 2024, and a case was booked by the Telangana Cyber Security Bureau (TGCSB).

“Where are we heading, where is our moral compass?” Tej asked at the summit. “Freedom of speech has two parts — while it allows people to articulate their thoughts, it comes with a responsibility where what you say does not hurt someone’s respect or sentiments,” he remarked.

Tej also reflected on cinema’s influence on young audiences. “Most children have cinema as an entertainment, but how are we dealing with teasing and sexual harassment in movies? After ‘Winner’, I stopped doing scenes where the hero teases the heroine. I got a voice to say no to such things. I also stopped smoking on screen. But I cannot vouch for every actor and every director. I can speak for myself, I cannot force others to do that,” he said.

Highlighting risks for children in the digital era, Tej said the lack of real-world interactions is pushing children towards social media and AI, which makes them vulnerable to exploitation. “We can start with just a day of digital detox during the week, and engage in conversations and interactions with real people,” he suggested.

He also urged stricter verification measures on social media platforms. “If they can connect social media IDs with, let’s say Aadhaar cards, that can make users and platforms more responsible,” he said.