Meta to Report Child Abuse Cases to Law Enforcement

• Meta has agreed to report child sexual abuse cases to law enforcement agencies in India.
• The Centre said child safety is a non-negotiable requirement for social media platforms.
• NCPCR is probing allegations involving child sexual exploitation and abuse material on Meta platforms.
• NHRC has asked Delhi Police to investigate alleged paid advertisements promoting such material.

GG News Bureau
New Delhi, 15th Sept: Facebook parent company Meta has agreed to report cases involving child sexual abuse to law enforcement agencies in India, sources said, as the Centre steps up efforts to strengthen child safety on social media platforms.

Government officials said the online safety of children is a fundamental requirement for social media companies operating in India and that the government is continuously engaging with platforms to curb the circulation of harmful content.

As part of the initial measures to strengthen child safety, Meta will report child safety-related matters to law enforcement agencies. Sources said discussions are also underway with other social media platforms to identify and remove harmful content.

Officials said action could be taken against platforms that fail to adopt proactive measures to protect children. The development comes amid the government’s broader efforts to increase accountability of digital platforms and ensure that online intermediaries comply with their obligations concerning harmful content.

Representatives of Meta India were summoned by the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) on September 9 over allegations concerning advertisements linked to child sexual exploitation and abuse material (CSEAM).

The NCPCR had initiated action after taking cognisance of a report by BBC Eye alleging the presence of such advertisements on Meta-owned platforms. The commission had issued a notice to Meta in July seeking an explanation, following which the company submitted its response.

The NCPCR subsequently initiated an inquiry to examine the allegations and summoned Meta India’s managing director and head of Meta India to provide further information.

Separately, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) directed the Delhi Police to conduct a comprehensive investigation into allegations that paid advertisements on Instagram promoted CSEAM in India.

The NHRC also asked the police to examine whether Meta and other platforms were complying with mandatory reporting requirements under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.