New Delhi [India], September 16 (ANI): The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) has once again summoned the Managing Director and Head of Meta India in connection with its inquiry into Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse Material (CSEAM) ads, with the hearing scheduled for September 16, government sources said.
As per government sources, the NCPCR had issued a notice to Meta on July 3 seeking an explanation from the company in the matter. Meta submitted its response a week later.
Following the response, the NCPCR decided to institute a formal inquiry to determine the facts of the case.
As part of the ongoing inquiry, the Commission has once again summoned the MD and Head of Meta India for the hearing scheduled on Wednesday.
According to government sources, the NCPCR's persistent follow-up in the Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse Material (CSEAM) matter has also prompted Meta to revise its policy on reporting cases of child sexual abuse.
Meta has now begun reporting such cases to the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (14C), the sources said.
In another matter concerning alleged child abuse at a day care centre operated by Capgemini in Bengaluru, the NCPCR has summoned the company's Vice President for a hearing on September 16.
The Commission will examine the matter to determine culpability.
Earlier in Tuesday, a Meta spokesperson said as the company reiterated its commitment to tackling online child exploitation and related crimes.
"Protecting children on our platforms is a priority for us, and we're committed to working with the government to ensure that the perpetrators of these crimes are held responsible," the Meta spokesperson said.
"To collectively strengthen our efforts to combat this harm, Meta will now report child safety matters directly to the Cybercrime portal managed by the Indian Cybercrime Coordination Centre (14C)," the spokesperson added.
The move comes as part of Meta's efforts to strengthen coordination with Indian authorities in addressing concerns related to child safety and online crimes.
Meta operates several major social media platforms, including WhatsApp, Facebook and Instagram, where it has implemented measures aimed at detecting and preventing harmful content involving children.
The Indian Cybercrime Coordination Centre (14C), under the Ministry of Home Affairs, works towards strengthening the country's response to cybercrime through coordination among law enforcement agencies, capacity building and technology-driven solutions.
The development comes as the government continues to focus on improving accountability of digital platforms and ensuring that online intermediaries take adequate measures to prevent the spread of harmful content, especially content affecting children.
Amid the Centre's continued engagement with online platforms to curb harmful content, Government sources said ensuring the online safety of children is a fundamental requirement for any social media platform operating in India and is "non-negotiable". "Online safety of children is a fundamental principle for any social media platform to operate in India, and it is non-negotiable," the sources said. (ANI)
NCPCR summons Meta India MD, Head over CSEAM ads; hearing on September 16
