Google India has written to I4C and the IT ministry about the move and will start sharing details once the required technical framework is ready, according to sources reported by Business Standard. The search engine major's India arm will begin sharing details of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) cases and repeat offenders with the cybercrime division of the Indian Cybercrime Coordination Centre (I4C) of the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology. A spokesperson for Google India confirmed the development, stating that the company had "proposed to operationalize the provision of relevant information to the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) in cases related to child sexual abuse material."
Google is deeply committed to fighting CSAM online and preventing its platforms from being used to create, store or distribute such material, as stated by the company spokesperson to Business Standard. The company invests significantly to detect, deter, remove, and report child sexual abuse material. This proactive step aligns with Google's broader commitment to combating online child sexual exploitation through enhanced information sharing with Indian law enforcement agencies.
The company has written to both I4C and the IT ministry explaining the reasons for the proactive step, with details of CSAM cases expected to start flowing to I4C as soon as the company has the technical framework ready, according to sources reported by Business Standard. This technical readiness will enable the systematic sharing of relevant information to support Indian law enforcement efforts in combating child sexual abuse material cases. The development comes after the government pushed for greater coordination between technology platforms and Indian cybercrime authorities on child safety matters.
Google India follows in Meta India's footsteps, which has also agreed to start reporting details of CSAM cases, as well as other details of repeat offenders to the I4C and the IT ministry, as reported by Business Standard. Meta had earlier this month agreed to start reporting CSAM cases and details of repeat offenders to the I4C. A spokesperson for Meta had stated that protecting children on their platforms is a priority and they're committed to working with the government to ensure that perpetrators of these crimes are held responsible. Google's proposed arrangement now mirrors the direct-reporting approach agreed to by Meta.
Until now, all US-headquartered social media platforms, including Google and Meta, shared instances of CSAM only with the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC), a private US non-profit organisation, according to Business Standard. The delay in obtaining information had often led to Indian law enforcement agencies getting a late start on critical CSAM cases. The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, led by Union Electronics and Information Technology Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, raised this issue with Meta's Chief of Global Affairs, Joel Kaplan, when he flew to New Delhi in August this year. Google's proposed arrangement with I4C would operate alongside those existing reporting obligations, with the company expected to begin sharing relevant case information with Indian authorities once the technical framework is ready.
