Meta has agreed to report child safety-related matters, including cases involving child sexual abuse, to the appropriate law enforcement agencies, government officials said on Tuesday.
The development comes as the Centre steps up its efforts to make social media platforms more proactive in identifying and removing harmful content involving children.
A Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) official told Hindustan Times that Meta has sent a letter to the ministry confirming its commitment to report such matters to law enforcement agencies.
Government calls Meta move a ‘first step’
The government described Meta’s decision as a “first step” towards making social media platforms safer for children, while stressing that more needs to be done.
It said the online safety of children is a fundamental principle for every social media platform operating in India and is “non-negotiable.”
The government has also been engaging with social media platforms to strengthen safeguards against harmful information and improve child safety online.
Other social media platforms under scrutiny
The Centre said discussions are also continuing with other social media platforms to ensure that harmful content involving children is proactively identified and removed.
It warned that action would be taken against platforms that fail to take adequate proactive measures to protect children and ensure their safety online.
The government’s focus comes amid growing concerns over the circulation and promotion of child sexual exploitation and abuse material on digital platforms.
Meta faces scrutiny over child abuse material
Meta’s commitment comes amid increased scrutiny over child sexual exploitation and abuse material (CSEAM) allegedly appearing in Instagram advertisements.
The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) had earlier summoned Meta India executives as part of its inquiry into the issue. The action followed reports that Instagram advertisements were being used to facilitate access to such material.
A Tech Transparency Project investigation published this month claimed it had identified more than 300 Meta advertisements containing child sexual abuse material. Some of the material reportedly included AI-manipulated images involving real children.
Meta removed a large number of the advertisements after the findings were brought to its attention.
Meta outlines child-safety measures
Meta has said it uses AI-powered detection systems, hash matching and other tools to identify child exploitation and remove content that violates its policies.
In July, the company said it had removed around four million accounts and 36 million pieces of content linked to child exploitation globally during the first half of 2026.
Meta also said around 1.6 lakh accounts in India were disabled during the same period for violating its child-safety policies.
The government has maintained that social media platforms must continue strengthening such safeguards and take proactive measures to protect children online.
Separate Meta-Kerala CM video row
Separately, Meta restricted access in India on Monday to a viral AI-generated video showing Kerala Chief Minister V D Satheesan dancing with KSEB officials.
According to PTI, the creators said Meta cited a government notice for the restriction, while the video remained accessible outside India. The video had crossed 1.78 crore views before access was restricted in India.
Satheesan had earlier praised the video despite it being partly intended to mock him. He later said AI-generated content could raise legal concerns.
The creator said he did not believe the Kerala chief minister’s office had sought the video’s removal.
Meta had earlier removed videos critical of Satheesan and the Kerala government but later attributed those removals to “technical reasons.”
