Meta under scrutiny over child abuse content, admits mistake: Report
Follow UsMeta executives appeared before NCPCR over alleged child abuse-related ads.
The company has agreed to share child safety information with Indian authorities.
The government is questioning whether Meta can claim legal protection as an intermediary.
Meta is facing fresh questions over its responsibility for content appearing on its platforms after senior India executives appeared before the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) over alleged child sexual exploitation and abuse material-related advertisements. According to a recent report, the government no longer sees Meta simply as an intermediary because its algorithms help decide and amplify what users see. The report also claims that Meta has admitted a mistake and agreed to report child abuse content to Indian law enforcement agencies. Here’s everything you need to know about the Meta and government row.
SurveyMeta executives appear before government
According to a recent report from PTI, government sources told them that Meta has accepted that it made an error and has agreed to share information about child abuse material with Indian authorities. The sources said that companies running online platforms have certain duties under the law.
Since Meta has now accepted responsibility for the content posted on its platforms, it may also need to take additional steps to meet those duties. The government’s view is that Meta, which operates Facebook and Instagram, may not be protected by legal immunity in this case. However, the courts will have the final say on how the law should be interpreted and applied.
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The NCPCR had first summoned the managing director and head of Meta India on September 9 as part of its inquiry into alleged advertisements linked to child sexual exploitation and abuse material, following a BBC Eye investigation into the ads. Meta India chief Arun Srinivas was among the executives who appeared before the child rights panel that day. According to more recent reports, Meta’s leadership was summoned again this week for a further hearing before the commission.
Meta to share child safety-related data with government
Meta has previously agreed that it will directly send child safety-related cases to the cybercrime portal managed by India’s Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C). This decision comes as Indian authorities are calling for stronger action against child sexual abuse material and other dangerous content online.
A Meta spokesperson also previously said that the company would work with the government to help ensure that people involved in such crimes are held accountable. Meta will now report these child safety cases directly through the I4C portal.
