Meta has agreed to report child safety matters directly to Indian law enforcement agencies, amid the Centre’s growing crackdown on social media platforms over the safety of children online.
Government officials said online safety of children is a fundamental requirement for social media companies operating in India and that there would be no compromise on the issue. The government is also engaging with other platforms to ensure harmful content involving children is identified and removed.
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As part of the latest move, Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, will report child safety matters directly to the cyber crime portal managed by the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C).
A Meta spokesperson said protecting children on its platforms remains a priority for the company and stressed the need to work with the government to hold perpetrators accountable.
The development comes as authorities intensify scrutiny of digital platforms and their responsibility to prevent the circulation of harmful content, particularly material involving child sexual exploitation and abuse.
Representatives of Meta India were summoned by the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) on September 9 as part of an investigation into alleged advertisements linked to child sexual exploitation and abuse material on Meta-owned platforms.
The NCPCR had initiated proceedings after taking note of a report by BBC Eye that alleged the presence of advertisements promoting child sexual exploitation and abuse material on Meta’s platforms. The commission had issued a notice to Meta in July seeking an explanation from the company.
Meta submitted its response a week later. Following that, the NCPCR decided to launch a detailed probe to establish the facts and circumstances surrounding the allegations. Senior Meta India officials were asked to appear before the commission and provide further details about the company’s response and the allegations.
The National Human Rights Commission has also stepped into the matter. It has directed the Delhi Police to conduct a comprehensive investigation into allegations that paid advertisements on Instagram, which is owned by Meta, were used to promote child sexual exploitation and abuse material in India.
The NHRC has asked the police to examine whether Meta and other platforms were complying with mandatory reporting requirements under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act.
The government has indicated that Meta’s decision is only an initial step and that more measures will be required to strengthen child safety across social media platforms.
Officials said the Centre is continuing discussions with other digital platforms to ensure they take proactive steps to identify, report and remove harmful content. Platforms that fail to take adequate measures could face action, they said.
The latest development highlights the increasing pressure on social media companies in India to strengthen safeguards for children and improve cooperation with law enforcement agencies.
With Meta now agreeing to directly report child safety matters through the I4C cyber crime portal, authorities are seeking greater accountability from digital platforms over content that puts children at risk.
