Source BBC
NEW DELHI — In a major policy pivot following intense pressure from Indian regulators, tech giant Meta has agreed to directly flag child sexual abuse material (CSAM) and related safety concerns to Indian law enforcement agencies.
The decision marks a critical break from the social media conglomerate’s long-standing protocol, under which it reported child exploitation incidents exclusively to the US-based National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC). While NCMEC routinely coordinates with global police forces, Indian authorities argued that this multi-tiered pipeline caused critical delays, impeding domestic investigations into fast-moving digital predators.
Under the new operational framework, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp will route reports straight into the cybercrime portal maintained by the Ministry of Home Affairs’ Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C).
“To collectively strengthen our efforts to combat this harm, Meta will now report child safety matters directly to the Cyber Crime portal managed by I4C,” a Meta spokesperson stated, reiterating the platform’s commitment to holding perpetrators accountable.
The agreement follows weeks of escalating scrutiny from the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) and child-rights watchdogs. An investigative report earlier this year uncovered paid advertisements on Instagram that promoted CSAM—directing users to illicit networks on encrypted messaging apps.
The findings led the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) to summon senior Meta India leadership over possible violations of India’s Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. Under Section 19 of the POCSO Act, any person or corporate entity with knowledge that a sexual offence has been committed against a minor is legally required to report the information directly to local police or specialized juvenile units.
Government officials hailed the direct reporting channel as an essential first step, warning that platforms must maintain zero tolerance for child exploitation.
“Online safety of children is a fundamental principle for any social media platform to operate in India, and it is non-negotiable,” a senior MeitY official said. “Meta has agreed to report child safety-related matters to the appropriate law enforcement agencies. It is a first step towards making the platforms safe for children, and much more needs to be done. The government shall take action against platforms that do not take proactive steps.”
