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Meta child safety investigation in India

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2026-09-15 06:19 UTC → 2026-09-15 19:43 UTC · added ~~removed~~

The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) summoned Meta India executives following allegations that advertisements on platforms like Instagram promoted child sexual exploitation and abuse material (CSEAM). This inquiry was prompted by a BBC Eye report suggesting that specific terms in paid ads redirected users to Telegram channels for such material. Concurrently, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) directed Delhi Police to investigate whether Meta complied with mandatory reporting obligations under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. Following intense pressure from the Indian government, which has characterized online child safety as a ‘non-negotiable’ principle, Meta has agreed to report child sexual abuse cases and related safety matters directly to Indian law enforcement agencies. Specifically, Meta will now report incidents directly to India’s Cybercrime portal, managed by the Indian Cybercrime Coordination Centre (I4C). This marks a shift from Meta’s previous practice of reporting incidents to a the US-based ~~agency,~~ National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC), which then forwarded information to India’s cybercrime portal. ~~Indian authorities had argued that direct reporting to local police is necessary.~~ The scrutiny intensified after investigations identified over 300 advertisements featuring AI-generated child sexual abuse material. Government officials described Meta’s agreement as a ‘first step’ and warned that platforms failing to adopt proactive measures to remove harmful content could face the loss of ‘safe harbor’ legal protections. Discussions remain ongoing with other social media companies to strengthen digital safeguards and accountability.

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