The development comes as the government continues to focus on improving accountability of digital platforms and ensuring that online intermediaries take adequate measures to prevent the spread of harmful content, especially content affecting children.
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REUTERS/FRANCIS MASCARENHAS
Tech giant Meta has agreed to report child sexual abuse cases and other child safety-related matters to the appropriate law enforcement agencies, government sources said on Tuesday, amid the Centre’s continued engagement with online platforms to curb harmful content.
Government sources said ensuring the online safety of children is a fundamental requirement for any social media platform 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 matters to law enforcement agencies marks an initial step towards strengthening safeguards 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 proactive identification and removal of harmful content, the sources said.
The sources further said that strict action would be taken against platforms that fail to adopt proactive measures for ensuring children’s safety online.
The development comes as the government continues to focus on improving accountability of digital platforms and ensuring that online intermediaries take adequate measures to prevent the spread of harmful content, especially content affecting children.
Meanwhile, Representatives of Meta India arrived 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 in connection with an inquiry into alleged advertisements related to Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse Material (CSEAM).
The NCPCR had taken suo motu cognisance of a media report published by BBC Eye regarding alleged advertisements on Meta-owned platforms and issued a notice to Meta Platforms, Inc. on July 3, 2026, seeking an explanation over the allegations. Meta submitted its response to the Commission a week after the notice was issued.
The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) had earlier directed the Delhi Police to conduct a comprehensive probe into allegations that paid advertisements on Meta-owned Instagram promoted Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM) in India. The NHRC also directed the police to examine whether the technology company and other concerned entities complied with mandatory reporting obligations under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.
Published on September 15, 2026
