Meta, which owns and operates social media platforms including Instagram, will directly report child sexual abuse cases and other child-safety concerns to the Union home ministry's Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C), people aware of the matter said on Tuesday.
This comes after scrutiny over alleged child sexual abuse material (CSAM) promoted on Instagram.
Meta to report child safety concerns to I4C
A Meta spokesperson said protecting children on their platforms was a priority. "We’re committed to working with the government to ensure that the perpetrators of these crimes are held responsible. 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.”
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A ministry of electronics and information technology (MeitY) official said Meta communicated its decision to the government in a letter sent about a week ago.
A second official told journalists that the government is continuously engaging with social media platforms to curb harmful information. "Meta has agreed to report child safety-related matters to the appropriate law enforcement agencies." The official added that it is a first step towards making the platforms safe for children and much more needs to be done. “The government remains engaged with other platforms to proactively identify and remove such content."
{{/usCountry}}A second official told journalists that the government is continuously engaging with social media platforms to curb harmful information. "Meta has agreed to report child safety-related matters to the appropriate law enforcement agencies." The official added that it is a first step towards making the platforms safe for children and much more needs to be done. “The government remains engaged with other platforms to proactively identify and remove such content."
{{/usCountry}}The second official promised action against platforms that do not take proactive steps for the safety of children. The government has made it clear that online safety of children is a "fundamental principle for any social media platform to operate in India" and that it is "non-negotiable".
Why Meta’s move matters
The development assumes significance as Meta reports apparent child sexual exploitation to the US-based National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC), which then coordinates with law enforcement authorities in countries around the world.
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The government wanted Meta to report such cases directly to Indian authorities as well.
Meta has faced MeitY scrutiny over its handling of CSAM on its platforms.
NCPCR scrutiny over CSAM on Instagram
The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) initiated an inquiry into Instagram hosting advertisements related to CSAM. It followed a BBC Eye investigation this year about advertisements containing phrases such as “rape video” and “child video” that directed users to Telegram channels allegedly selling CSAM.
The child rights body sought an explanation from Meta on why it did not inform the police after allegedly becoming aware of CSAM being promoted on Instagram, citing obligations under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.
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Section 19 of the POCSO Act requires any person with knowledge that an offence under the law has been committed, or an apprehension that such an offence is likely to be committed, to provide that information to the Special Juvenile Police Unit or the local police.
NCPCR also summoned Meta India managing director Arun Srinivas to appear before it on September 9.