Delhi Police has registered an FIR over the availability of Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse Material (CSEAM) on Meta-owned platforms, marking a major development in the scrutiny of online child safety in India.

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National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) member Priyank Kanoongo announced the development in a post on X, saying the police action followed directions issued by the authorities.

"Acting on our directions, Delhi Police has registered an FIR regarding the availability of Child Sexual Exploitative and Abuse Material (CSEAM) on platforms operated by MetaIndia," Kanoongo said.

The development comes amid an ongoing inquiry by the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) into alleged advertisements involving child sexual exploitation and abuse material on Meta's platforms.

The NCPCR had issued a notice to Meta on July 3, seeking an explanation over the matter. The company submitted its response a week later, following which the Commission decided to conduct a formal inquiry to establish the facts.

As part of the proceedings, the Commission summoned Meta India's managing director and head for a hearing scheduled on September 16. The summons marked another step in the regulator's efforts to seek accountability from the company over child safety concerns.

Meta changes how it reports child abuse cases in India

The regulatory pressure has also led to a change in Meta's reporting process for child safety incidents in India.

According to government sources, the company has started reporting such cases directly to the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C), which operates under the Ministry of Home Affairs.

Meta had also confirmed the change, saying it would report child safety matters directly to the cybercrime portal managed by I4C.

"Protecting children on our platforms is a priority for us, and we're committed to working with the government to ensure that the perpetrators of these crimes are held responsible," a Meta spokesperson said.

The company operates major digital platforms, including Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, and says it has measures in place to detect and prevent harmful content involving children.

What is the role of I4C?

The Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre, under the Ministry of Home Affairs, works to strengthen the country's response to cybercrime. It coordinates with law enforcement agencies and supports investigations through technology and capacity-building initiatives.

Direct reporting to I4C is expected to strengthen the process of bringing child safety concerns to the attention of cybercrime authorities.

The NCPCR has also taken up a separate child safety matter involving alleged abuse at a day care centre operated by Capgemini in Bengaluru. The Commission summoned a company vice-president for a hearing scheduled on September 16.

With ANI inputs