Meta Agrees to Direct Child Safety Reports to I4C Amid Government Crackdown

Facebook and Instagram owner Meta has agreed to directly report child safety-related matters to India’s cybercrime portal, managed by the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C), amid an intensified government crackdown on child sexual abuse material and other harmful online content.

A Meta spokesperson said protecting children on its platforms is a priority and that the company is committed to working with the government to ensure perpetrators are held accountable. “To collectively strengthen our efforts to combat this harm, Meta will now report child safety matters directly to the cybercrime portal managed by I4C,” the spokesperson said.

Meta is the first major technology intermediary to establish a direct reporting pipeline to Indian law enforcement. Until now, the US-headquartered company has primarily reported child safety cases to the US-based National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC). Government sources described children’s online safety as a “fundamental principle” and “non-negotiable”, warning that action would be taken against platforms that fail to proactively protect minors. The Centre is also engaging with other platforms to ensure harmful content is identified and removed swiftly.

The move follows increased scrutiny of Meta over alleged Child Sexual Exploitative and Abuse Material (CSEAM) on Instagram. A BBC Eye investigation published in July alleged that paid Instagram advertisements promoted such material, with some allegedly directing users to Telegram channels hosting sexually explicit content involving children. It also alleged that Meta’s recommendation systems amplified videos containing such material.

Following the report, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) ordered Instagram to disable the advertisements and sought an explanation. Multiple discussions with Meta executives followed, with the ministry making clear that such content violates Indian law and cannot claim safe-harbour protection.

The NCPCR subsequently summoned Meta India’s Managing Director and Head of India over the allegations. Separately, the NHRC directed Delhi Police to examine whether Meta had complied with mandatory reporting obligations under the POCSO Act. The I4C operates the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal, with a special focus on crimes against women and children. Its Sahyog platform also facilitates content takedown requests to social media companies.