Tech giant Meta has agreed to report cases of child sexual abuse and other matters related to child safety to the appropriate law enforcement agencies, government sources said on Tuesday, as the Centre continues its engagement with online platforms to tackle harmful content.
Government sources said protecting children’s safety online is a fundamental requirement for all social media platforms 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 cases to law enforcement agencies marks an initial step towards strengthening protections 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 the proactive identification and removal of harmful content, the sources said. “The government remains engaged with other platforms to proactively identify and remove such content,” they said. “The government shall take action against platforms which do not take proactive steps for the safety of children,” the sources said. Earlier reporting noted: The government said it has been engaging with social media platforms to curb harmful information and strengthen the safety of children online. Meta has sent a letter to MeitY confirming this, a ministry official told HT. Earlier reporting noted: The government said online safety of children was a fundamental principle for any social media platform operating in India and was “non-negotiable”.
The sources further warned that strict action would be taken against platforms that fail to take proactive measures to protect children’s safety online. The development comes as the government continues to strengthen the accountability of digital platforms and ensure that online intermediaries take adequate measures to prevent the dissemination of harmful content, particularly material affecting children. Earlier reporting noted: Meta agrees to report child sexual abuse cases to agencies, MeitY receives letter Meta has agreed to report child safety-related matters, including cases involving child sexual abuse, to the appropriate law enforcement agencies, government officials said on Tuesday.
