'First step towards safety': Meta to report child sexual abuse cases to law enforcement

The development comes as the government continues to engage with social media platforms over harmful content and compliance with Indian laws

NEW DELHI: Social media giant Meta on Tuesday agreed to report cases related to child sexual abuse to appropriate law enforcement agencies in India, government sources told ANI.The development comes as the government continues to engage with social media platforms over harmful content and compliance with Indian laws. Government sources told ANI that the online safety of children is a “fundamental principle” for any social media platform operating in India and is “non-negotiable”.“Meta has agreed to report child safety-related matters to the appropriate law enforcement agencies. It is a first step towards making the platforms safe for children, and much more needs to be done,” government sources told ANI.The government is also engaging with other platforms to ensure they proactively identify and remove harmful content, including child sexual abuse material (CSAM), sources said. It warned that action would be taken against platforms that fail to take proactive steps to ensure the safety of children.

The latest development follows a series of discussions between Meta and government officials over the company’s compliance with Indian laws and its content moderation systems.

During earlier meetings, officials had sought details on Meta’s algorithms, content moderation mechanisms, compliance processes, checks and balances, and safeguards against CSAM and deepfake content.Government sources had said platforms could not operate in India solely according to US laws, stressing that they have a responsibility towards society and Indian law.The government had also raised questions over Meta’s eligibility for safe-harbour protection under Section 79 of the Information Technology Act. The provision protects intermediaries from liability for third-party content, subject to certain conditions.