Meta to Directly Report Child Sexual Abuse Content to Indian Investigative Agencies

Meta, the parent company of Facebook, has agreed to directly report cases and content related to child sexual abuse to Indian investigative agencies, according to central government sources. The decision comes amid the Centre’s efforts to strengthen child safety on social media platforms and its clear message that there can be no compromise when it comes to protecting minors online. The government has also reiterated that social media platforms have a responsibility to safeguard children from harmful content and warned of strict action in case of violations.

Government sources said Meta’s decision to share details of child sexual abuse cases and related content directly with Indian agencies is an important first step towards creating a safer online environment for children. The Centre has been holding discussions with social media platforms to identify and remove harmful content. It had also sought details from Meta’s India representatives about its algorithms, content moderation systems, measures to tackle deepfake content and compliance with Indian laws. Until now, Meta reported such content to the US-based National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC), which subsequently shared the information with investigative agencies across the world, including those in India. Meta will now report such information directly to Indian agencies without relying on the intermediary organisation.