National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) Member Priyank Kanoongo has formally written to the Union Ministry of Women and Child Development (WCD), raising serious alarm over reported financial associations between tech giant Meta and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).
In an official communication addressed to WCD Secretary Anil Malik on Thursday, Kanoongo forwarded a representation received from the Legal Rights Observatory (LRO). The representation highlights substantial financial contributions made by Meta to UNICEF and other similar organisations, alongside their collaborative engagements with child-rights stakeholders to develop digital safety and child-protection mechanisms.
The NHRC’s intervention comes against the backdrop of grave allegations regarding the circulation and monetisation of Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM) across Meta-owned platforms. According to the letter, recent reports have brought to light instances of paid CSAM-related activities—generating revenue from material depicting the sexual abuse and exploitation of children—which are currently under examination and investigation by various law-enforcement agencies.
Warning of a potential conflict of interest, Kanoongo noted that Meta’s financial backing of UNICEF and peer organisations raises “serious apprehensions regarding the purpose and utilisation of such funds,” particularly when directed toward advocacy and institutional engagements.
“Such financial associations warrant careful examination, as they may potentially lend institutional legitimacy to a platform facing serious allegations and undermine the larger child-protection agenda,” the letter states.
Urging the WCD Ministry to examine the matter thoroughly and take appropriate action in the interest of child protection, the NHRC Member also marked copies of the letter to key top officials across the central government for necessary consideration. These include Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan, Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) CEO Rajesh Kumar, Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) Secretary S. Krishnan, and Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri.
