Meta agrees to report child sexual abuse cases in India; Centre warns platforms of action

New Delhi: Meta has agreed to report cases involving child sexual abuse to appropriate law enforcement agencies, government sources said on Tuesday.

The government has also warned that it will take action against platforms that fail to take proactive steps to ensure children's safety online. According to government sources, protecting children online is a "fundamental principle" for every social media platform operating in India and is "non-negotiable".

The government views Meta's agreement to report child sexual abuse cases as a first step towards making online platforms safer for children. Sources said, however, that much more needs to be done.

Government warns platforms over child safety

The Centre is continuing to engage with other online platforms to ensure they proactively identify and remove harmful content, particularly material that could put children at risk.

The government has made it clear that platforms cannot wait for harmful content to be reported before acting. It expects them to take proactive measures to identify and remove such material.

The warning comes as the government steps up scrutiny of social media platforms over harmful and illegal online content, including child sexual abuse material and deepfakes.

Meta under scrutiny over harmful content

The Centre had earlier issued a notice to Meta over its handling of such content. The government also recently summoned the social media company's global executives to India as it pushed platforms for faster removal of harmful content, stronger safeguards and greater accountability.

The government has warned platforms that failure to comply with Indian law will not be tolerated.

Meta's agreement to report child sexual abuse cases to law enforcement is therefore being seen by the government as an initial step, while discussions with other platforms continue to ensure stronger protections for children across social media.

With PTI inputs