Meta to report child abuse material directly to Indian authorities

Meta has announced it will start reporting child safety concerns directly to Indian authorities following a BBC Eye investigation that exposed paid advertisements promoting child sexual abuse material (CSAM) on its platforms in India. The investigation, published in July, revealed that Instagram was running paid adverts promoting CSAM in India, leading the Indian government to order Meta to remove all such advertisements and content.

A Meta spokesperson emphasized the company's commitment to protecting children and working with the government to hold perpetrators accountable. The Indian Cybercrime Coordination Centre (I4C), under the home ministry, will now receive direct reports of child safety matters from Meta. The arrangement's specifics, including the start date, covered cases, and operational details, remain undisclosed.

Previously, Meta reported suspected child exploitation to the US-based National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), which passes relevant reports to law enforcement agencies worldwide. This new reporting process will enable local authorities in India to receive information more swiftly. The change follows intense pressure from Indian authorities and child-rights groups, who demanded Meta take action after the BBC Eye investigation uncovered how CSAM was circulated and monetized on social media.

The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) and the Just Rights for Children network also joined the effort, with the latter filing a petition before India's Supreme Court. Their goal is to ensure social media companies identify and report those promoting child sexual abuse material to Indian authorities.