New Delhi: With the government’s heightened engagement with social media platforms over harmful content online, Meta has agreed to report matters related to child sexual abuse and safety to Indian law enforcement agencies.
The development comes amid heightened scrutiny of Meta in India over the alleged circulation and promotion of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) through advertisements on Instagram.
The government said the online safety of children is a “fundamental principle” for any social media platform operating in India and remains “non-negotiable”.
The move is significant because social media platforms can be used to circulate or facilitate access to child sexual abuse material and other forms of exploitation.
The government described Meta’s commitment as a first step towards making social media platforms safer for children, while stressing that more needs to be done. It said discussions are continuing with other platforms to proactively identify and remove harmful content, and warned that action will be taken against platforms that fail to take adequate proactive measures to protect children.
Social media platforms have faced growing scrutiny globally over the risks they pose to children, including exposure to sexual exploitation, harmful content and online abuse.
