Social media platform Meta has implemented a significant strategic shift by beginning direct reporting of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) to Indian law enforcement agencies from Tuesday, moving away from its long-standing US reporting mechanism under the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC). According to a Meta India spokesperson, the company regards CSAM as a "priority" and is "committed to working with the government to ensure that the perpetrators of these crimes are held responsible." The new approach will see Meta report child-safety matters directly to the cybercrime portal run by India's Indian Cybercrime Coordination Centre (I4C). This compliance shift addresses specific requirements under India's Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012, which mandates direct reporting of CSAM material to law enforcement agencies. Government officials made clear that Meta could no longer be viewed simply as an intermediary because its algorithms amplify content and determine its visibility, as reported by PTI. Legal and policy experts note that this move is specific to child sexual abuse content regulations and is not a precedent for India's overall social media intermediary policy. Ashwini Vaishnaw, Minister of Electronics and Information Technology, has confirmed that Meta has admitted it made mistakes and has committed to reporting child abuse material to law enforcement agencies. The government is reclassifying Meta as a service provider and not merely an intermediary, stating that platforms that charge for algorithms cannot simply claim to be intermediaries, with every service provider having responsibilities and must take responsibility for the services it provides.
The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) has summoned senior executives of Meta (parent company of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp) regarding the promotion of advertisements linked to Child Sexual Exploitative and Abuse Material (CSEAM) on its platforms. The NCPCR had first flagged the alleged CSEAM ads to Meta on July 3, while the company submitted its response a week later and has since changed its reporting policy. The Commission has now scheduled a hearing for September 16 as it begins a formal inquiry into the matter, with the proceedings expected to focus on the circumstances surrounding the allegations, the responses of the organisations involved and the steps taken to protect children. Following the summons, the social media giant submitted its response within a week, as reported by ANI. Additionally, the Commission also ordered the police to examine whether the tech giant and other relevant entities complied with mandatory reporting obligations under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. The NCPCR follow-up has also prompted a policy change at Meta, with the company now reporting child sexual abuse cases to the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C). People familiar with the matter pointed out that Meta has admitted its mistake and committed to reporting child abuse content to Indian law enforcement agencies, as reported by PTI. Meta India head Arun Srinivas was once again summoned by the NCPCR to appear in person and explain the company's policy stance on preventing CSAM, confirming the development as reported by Business Standard.
The government has made clear that failure to remove CSEAM upon receipt of court order or government notice results in the forfeiture of safe-harbor protections under Section 79. This legal framework underscores the critical importance of platform compliance with child protection measures. The Centre has ramped up scrutiny of social media platforms over harmful and illegal content posted online, including child sexual abuse material and deepfakes, while continuously engaging with platforms to strengthen measures aimed at restricting such content. The government has issued a notice to the social media giant in India over its handling of such content, and recently summoned the company's global executives to India, as the government pressed all platforms to act quickly to take down harmful content, enforce stronger safeguards and ensure greater accountability. Meta would not be entitled to intermediary immunity if its fail to meet its responsibilities, as confirmed by the Minister of Electronics and Information Technology. As a service provider, Meta has greater responsibilities and will have to take more responsibility for content on its platform, as noted by government sources to PTI. Every service provider has responsibility, the government sources told PTI, adding that Meta's decision marked a change in its position in the social media space. Though the government is of the considered opinion that Meta, which owns Facebook, Instagram and Threads, "does not have any legal immunity" in this case and, therefore, can be prosecuted for any crimes arising from the content shared on these platforms, the final decision on whether they are liable will rest with the judiciary, according to Business Standard.
Government officials have explicitly stated that Meta's platforms in India can no longer be classified merely as an 'internet intermediary' and must be treated as a 'service provider' as the company charges money for its algorithms. As reported by Business Standard, a senior government official said the company will, therefore, have to take more responsibility for content shared by users and distributed across its platforms — Facebook, Instagram and Threads. "Meta's role has evolved beyond merely hosting or transmitting the content that users share. The algorithms on their platforms now decide what kind of content is shown to users across different categories based on age, location, gender, and various other factors and money is charged for promoting such content," the official explained. "Service providers have many responsibilities...once Meta has agreed to be responsible for what they have on the platform, then as the next steps, they have to start taking many more responsibilities," the official added. An email sent to Meta seeking its response did not elicit a response, as reported by Business Standard. The platform has been informed of the government's stance on the issue, an official said, adding that a final decision would be taken soon, with "We have informed them (Meta) about this, and there will be more action that will follow," according to Business Standard.
The government is also engaging with other platforms to ensure they proactively identify and remove harmful content, including child sexual abuse material (CSAM). As reported by NDTV Profit, the government is also making it clear that platforms failing to take proactive steps could face action from the authorities. This represents a fundamental shift in how social media companies must approach content moderation in India, moving beyond reactive reporting to proactive compliance with local laws and regulations. The Centre's tough stance against Meta, including the recent summoning of global executives, demonstrates the government's commitment to ensuring platforms maintain strict adherence to child safety standards across the industry. Though Meta is the first company to agree to share such details directly with the Indian government, sources said other social media and internet intermediaries would also have to follow suit and report instances of CSAM, along with offender details, to the authorities, as reported by Business Standard. The increased scrutiny of Meta comes as the government pushes for greater accountability and stronger guardrails on content shared on social media platforms, with the government having adopted a tough stance on the proliferation of child sexual abuse material (CSAM), addictive content and photos, videos or games that promote suicidal thoughts among children, as noted by Business Standard. All platforms must take responsibility, as emphasized by the Minister of Electronics and Information Technology.
