<a href="https://www.mid-day.com/business/business-news/article/meta-to-lay-off-10-per-cent-of-global-workforce-to-strengthen-ai-operations-23631229" target="_blank" rel="none noopener">US-headquartered tech giant Meta</a> on Tuesday said it has agreed to report child safety-related matters directly to the cybercrime portal managed by the Indian Cybercrime Coordination Centre (I4C), according to new agency PTI.
The development comes amid global concerns over the child safety norms on the tech firm's social media platform including Instagram.
"We're committed to working with the government to ensure that the perpetrators of these crimes are held responsible," a company's spokesperson said adding protecting children on the platforms is a priority for the firm.
"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 further said.
Presently, Meta reports child safety cases to the US-based National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.
It is the first major tech intermediary to commit to establishing a direct reporting pipeline to Indian law enforcement, according to PTI.&nbsp;
Earlier in the day, the Indian government had emphasised that online safety of children is a "fundamental principle" for any social media platform operating in India and is absolutely "non-negotiable".
As a first step towards making the platforms safe for children, Meta has agreed to report child sexual abuse cases to law enforcement agencies though the IT Ministry sources told the news agency PTI that much more needs to be done.
<h2>Child safety is priority&nbsp;</h2>
Furthermore, the government said it will take action against online and social media platforms that fail to take proactive steps to ensure children's safety online. This reflects its tough stance on platforms' responsibility to protect minors from harmful content and activity, as per PTI.
The government has increased its examination of social media platforms regarding harmful and unlawful online material, such as child sexual exploitation content and deepfakes, and is also engaged with other online platforms to ensure that they proactively identify and remove such content.
In July, the government has <a href="https://www.mid-day.com/tech/tech-news/article/govt-issues-notice-to-meta-over-alleged-child-sexual-abuse-material-in-instagram-ads-seeks-reply-in-7-days-23638329" target="_blank" rel="none noopener">issued a notice to Meta over alleged Child Sexual Exploitative and Abuse Material (CSEAM)</a> in paid advertisements on Instagram and had recently summoned the social media giant's global executives to India. The government told all platforms to ensure faster takedowns of harmful content, build stronger safeguards and create greater accountability, while cautioning them that failure to comply with Indian law will not be tolerated.
<h2>Zero-tolerance approach towards CESAM</h2>
The government has maintained a zero-tolerance approach towards CSEAM, requiring online platforms to promptly detect, remove and report such content while strengthening safeguards to protect children in the digital ecosystem.
The government has also, from time to time, blocked websites containing child sexual abuse material (CSAM) based on lists received from Interpol through the <a href="https://www.mid-day.com/mumbai/mumbai-news/article/cbi-registers-fir-in-disha-salian-death-case-names-no-accused-following-bombay-high-court-order-23650008" target="_blank" rel="none noopener">Central Bureau of Investigation</a>, India's national nodal agency for Interpol.
Authorities have repeatedly warned technology companies that failure to crack down on CSAM and other harmful content could invite regulatory scrutiny and legal action.
(With inputs from PTI)

The Centre has stressed that online safety of children is paramount for any social media platform operating in India

Meta agrees to report child sexual abuses cases to law enforcement agencies

Rupee falls 30 paise to 95.84 against US dollar amid higher crude oil prices, US-Iran conflict

The Indian government has emphasised that online safety of children is a fundamental principle for any social media platform operating in India and is absolutely non-negotiable

Meta to report child sexual abuses cases to Indian Cybercrime Portal

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