Winning Bizness Desk

Mumbai.Tech giant Meta has agreed to provide information related to child sexual abuse and other cases involving children’s safety to relevant law enforcement agencies in India, government sources said on Tuesday.

The decision follows discussions between the Centre and Meta over measures to curb harmful content on the company’s online platforms. Government sources said the online safety of children was non-negotiable for any social media platform operating in India.

The government has also made it clear that action will be taken against platforms that fail to take necessary steps on their own to protect children from harmful material online.

Sources described Meta’s decision as an initial step towards strengthening online protection for children, while stressing that more work remains to be done.

Key points from the government’s position:

• Platforms must identify and act against harmful content involving children.
• Online intermediaries are expected to cooperate with law enforcement agencies.
• Failure to take necessary preventive steps can invite government action.

Other social media platforms under scrutiny

The government is also holding discussions with other social media platforms and online intermediaries. They are being asked to take necessary measures to identify and remove harmful content involving children from their services.

The latest development comes amid increased scrutiny of Meta-owned platforms over allegations involving child sexual exploitation and abuse material, or CSEAM.

On September 9, representatives of Meta India appeared before the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR). The commission had summoned the company’s managing director and the head of Meta India over alleged advertisements linked to CSEAM.

NCPCR had taken suo motu cognisance on July 3 of a BBC media report that referred to alleged advertisements involving CSEAM on Meta-owned platforms. The commission subsequently issued a notice to Meta Platforms, Inc., seeking the company’s response to the allegations. Meta submitted its response a week after receiving the notice.

Instagram faced allegations over harmful content

The issue had also drawn the attention of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), which directed the Delhi Police to conduct a comprehensive investigation into allegations that child sexual abuse material was being promoted in India through paid advertisements on Meta-owned Instagram.

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

The allegations and subsequent government action have brought renewed focus on the responsibilities of social media companies in preventing the circulation and promotion of material involving the sexual exploitation of children.

India’s laws prohibit possession, sharing of such material

Under Indian law, creating, possessing, viewing, sharing, selling or transmitting material related to the sexual exploitation of children is an offence.

Section 67B of the Information Technology Act provides for punishment of up to five years in prison and a fine of up to Rs 10 lakh for a first offence. A subsequent offence can attract imprisonment of up to seven years along with a fine.

Social media platforms also have responsibilities under India’s IT Rules, 2021. They are required to act promptly against unlawful content, cooperate with investigative agencies and take appropriate technological measures to identify and prevent material involving child sexual abuse.

What users should do if such content appears:

• Do not download, share or forward the material.
• Report it immediately through the concerned platform.
• File a complaint through the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal.
• Inform the local police or cyber cell, where necessary.

Responsibility extends beyond social media platforms

The law does not place responsibility only on technology companies. Individuals who upload, purchase, sell, share or knowingly transmit such material can also face criminal action under Indian law.

The government’s ongoing engagement with Meta and other platforms indicates that child safety is being treated as a wider online-content issue requiring cooperation between technology companies, regulators and law enforcement agencies.

Meta’s agreement to share relevant information with Indian agencies is therefore being viewed by government sources as an early step, with further measures expected as discussions with the company and other online platforms continue.