No more ‘Meta’ excuses: Platform agrees to report child sexual abuse cases amid govt crackdown

Meta has agreed to report child sexual abuse and other child safety-related matters to law enforcement agencies as the Indian government steps up scrutiny of social media platforms over harmful content.

Tech giant Meta has agreed to report cases of child sexual abuse and other matters related to child safety to the appropriate law enforcement agencies, government sources said on Tuesday, as the Centre continues its engagement with online platforms to tackle harmful content.

Government sources said protecting children’s safety online is a fundamental requirement for all social media platforms operating in India and is “non-negotiable”. "Online safety of children is a fundamental principle for any social media platform to operate in India and it is non-negotiable," the sources said. 

The sources said Meta’s decision to report child safety-related cases to law enforcement agencies marks an initial step towards strengthening protections for children on digital platforms.

"Meta has agreed to report child safety-related matters to the appropriate law enforcement agencies," the sources said. "It is a first step towards making the platforms safe for children and much more needs to be done," they added.

The government has also been engaging with other social media platforms to ensure the proactive identification and removal of harmful content, the sources said.

“The government remains engaged with other platforms to proactively identify and remove such content,” they said.

The sources further warned that strict action would be taken against platforms that fail to take proactive measures to protect children’s safety online. “The government shall take action against platforms which do not take proactive steps for the safety of children,” the sources said.

Also Read | 'Meta must comply with Indian laws, not just global policies': Govt sources

The development comes as the government continues to strengthen the accountability of digital platforms and ensure that online intermediaries take adequate measures to prevent the dissemination of harmful content, particularly material affecting children.

Meanwhile, representatives of Meta India appeared at the office of the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) on September 9 after the child rights body summoned the company’s Managing Director and Head of Meta India as part of an inquiry into alleged advertisements involving Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse Material (CSEAM).

The NCPCR had taken suo motu cognisance of a BBC Eye media report concerning alleged advertisements on Meta-owned platforms and issued a notice to Meta Platforms, Inc. on July 3, 2026, seeking an explanation regarding the allegations. Meta submitted its response to the Commission a week after the notice was issued.

Earlier, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) had directed the Delhi Police to conduct a comprehensive investigation into allegations that paid advertisements on Meta-owned Instagram promoted Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM) in India.

The NHRC also instructed the police to examine whether the technology company and other concerned entities had complied with mandatory reporting requirements under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.

Also Read | Defying govt orders? Meta again caught running shocking AI child abuse ads in India

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