The government also remains engaged with other online platforms to ensure that they proactively identify and remove such content, the sources added.
According to sources, Meta’s pledge to report child sexual abuse cases to law enforcement agencies is the first step towards making the platforms safe for children, and much more needs to be done.
The Indian government is continuously engaging with social media platforms to curb harmful content, and efforts are on to ensure all platforms proactively identify and remove such material, sources added.
The government has stepped up scrutiny of social media platforms over harmful and illegal online content, including child sexual abuse material and deepfakes.
It had also issued notice to Meta over its handling of such content and recently summoned the social media giant’s global executives to India, as the Centre pressed all platforms for faster takedown of harmful content, stronger safeguards and greater accountability, clearly warning them that failure to comply with Indian law will not be tolerated.
In July, the government issued a notice to Meta on Child Sexual Exploitative and Abuse Material (CSEAM) in paid advertisements on Instagram. MeitY (Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology) had ordered Instagram to disable all ads and content promoting and facilitating access to CSEAM, and demanded a detailed explanation.
Multiple rounds of discussions with Meta top executives followed, where the IT Ministry made it unequivocally clear that such content constitutes a violation and cannot be covered by safe-harbour protection.
Earlier this month, the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) summoned the Managing Director and Head of Meta India in connection with its inquiry into alleged advertisements related to child sexual exploitative and abuse material (CSEAM) on the platform.
The child rights body had taken suo motu cognisance of a media report by BBC Eye regarding alleged advertisements related to CSEAM and sought an explanation from Meta.
(With inputs from PTI)
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