The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) on Tuesday decided to institute an inquiry into allegations related to advertisements involving Child Sexual Exploitative and Abuse Material (CSEAM) on Meta platforms, government sources told news agency ANI.
The child rights body had issued a notice to Meta Platforms, Inc. taking suo motu cognisance of a media report by BBC Eye regarding alleged advertisements linked to CSEAM.
NCPCR sought explanation from Meta
The NCPCR had earlier sought an explanation from Meta in the matter. In response, the company submitted its reply a week later.
Also read | Nishikant seeks Zuckerberg’s apology over PM reel removal
After examining Meta's response, the commission has now decided to initiate an inquiry to determine the facts of the matter.
Meta's global team in India tomorrow
The government said it will raise a number of issues, including lapses in tackling of CSAM (Child Sexual Exploitative and Abuse Material), as well as wrongful action on prominent account during the upcoming meeting with Meta's global team.
{{/usCountry}}The government said it will raise a number of issues, including lapses in tackling of CSAM (Child Sexual Exploitative and Abuse Material), as well as wrongful action on prominent account during the upcoming meeting with Meta's global team.
{{/usCountry}}IT Secretary S Krishnan said that a company at the forefront of technology should have been able to make its systems work as they are supposed to.
Meta's global team will be in India on August 5 and 6, Krishnan added.
Also read | Meta's global team in India tomorrow: Govt amid row over PM Modi's reel removal
It was not immediately clear who will be part of the team that will travel to India. There have been demands by the ruling party BJP's leaders for a personal apology by CEO Mark Zuckerberg.
This comes after Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Facebook reel addressing India's youth and promising stringent action against paper leaks, was briefly restricted on the platform.
The ministry further said that Meta has been under regulatory scrutiny over CSAM in paid advertisements on Instagram. The government had earlier slapped a notice on Meta over the issue, news agency PTI reported.
"There are a range of issues...the CSAM issue was raised, so what measures have been taken regarding that, and synthetically generated information ... to what extent that is being looked at. Then, of course, for prominent personalities, when they have verified accounts, if content has to be taken down, there have to be safeguards...all of these will be the issues," Krishnan told reporters on the sidelines of the launch of an independent multimodal AI evaluation platform by AI4Bharat at IIT Madras and Josh Talks AI.
‘Zuckerberg should apologise or…’
The chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Communications and Information Technology, Nishikant Dubey, on Monday said Meta chief executive Mark Zuckerberg should apologise for the temporary removal of PM Modi’s Facebook reel, warning that the company could otherwise lose the “safe harbour” protection available to intermediaries under Section 79 of the Information Technology (IT) Act.
“Meta’s mindset is to destabilise the country. PM Modi’s video was taken down from 12.30 am to 5 am. This is a very serious issue. Our committee has said two things — the apology must come from Mark Zuckerberg or else we will take back the safe harbour given to Meta under Section 79,” Dubey told reporters.
(With inputs from agencies)