Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, has agreed to share complaints related to child sexual exploitation content directly with India’s cyber crime authorities, following a warning from the Union government.
The Centre had urged the US-based company to block online material that involves child sexual abuse and other harmful content targeting children on social media platforms. The government also stressed that children’s online safety must be a non-negotiable principle for any social media firm operating in India.
The issue gained urgency after allegations that child sexual exploitation-related content appeared in paid advertisements on Instagram. In July, the Centre issued a notice to Meta in connection with the complaint.
Under the new arrangement, Meta will provide child safety-related complaints directly to the official website under the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C). Until now, the company had been routing such reports through the US-based National Center for Missing & Exploited Children.
A Meta spokesperson said the company is committed to working with the government to take action against those involved in crimes against children. The Centre, while calling the step an initial measure, has also pressed for stronger efforts to detect and remove such content proactively.
