Meta has agreed to directly report child safety-related cases to India’s cybercrime portal, marking a change in how the technology company will share information about suspected child exploitation with Indian law enforcement agencies.
The move comes amid growing government scrutiny of social media platforms over child sexual abuse material (CSAM), child sexual exploitation and abuse material (CSEAM), deepfakes and other harmful online content.
Meta Will Report Cases Directly to I4C
Meta said it will now report child safety matters directly to the cybercrime portal managed by the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C).
The I4C operates the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal, which allows cybercrime complaints to be submitted to Indian law enforcement agencies. The portal specifically includes a mechanism for reporting crimes against women and children, including CSEAM.
Meta said protecting children on its platforms remains a priority and that it is committed to working with the Indian government to ensure perpetrators are held responsible.
Earlier Reports Went Through a US Organisation
The new arrangement changes Meta’s earlier reporting mechanism for India.
Until now, Meta had primarily reported child safety cases to the US-based National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC). For cases originating in India, NCMEC would then route relevant information to the Indian cybercrime reporting system.
The direct channel with I4C is expected to give Indian authorities more direct access to reports involving potential child exploitation and related offences.
Government Has Increased Pressure on Meta
The development follows several months of increased scrutiny of Meta’s handling of child-safety issues.
In July, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology issued a notice to Meta over allegations involving CSEAM-related paid advertisements on Instagram. The ministry directed Instagram to disable advertisements and content promoting or facilitating access to such material and sought an explanation from the company.
The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) also summoned Meta India executives as part of an inquiry into alleged advertisements linked to CSEAM.
Government Wants Greater Platform Responsibility
Government sources have said that online child safety is a fundamental requirement for social media platforms operating in India.
Officials have also argued that Meta’s role goes beyond simply acting as an intermediary when its algorithms influence which content users see. However, whether Meta’s legal status or safe-harbour protections are affected is ultimately a matter for judicial determination.
The government has indicated that its engagement with Meta is part of a wider effort to make social media platforms proactively identify, remove and report harmful content involving children.
Summary
Meta will now report child safety-related matters directly to India’s I4C cybercrime portal, replacing its earlier reporting route through the US-based NCMEC. The move follows increased government scrutiny over CSAM and CSEAM on social media, including alleged Instagram advertisements. Indian authorities are also seeking greater responsibility from platforms in identifying and reporting harmful content involving children.
