Meta is no longer a simple intermediary but a service provider whose algorithms amplify content and determine what users see, according to government sources close to the development, PTI reported. Top Meta India executives on Wednesday appeared before the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights in connection with its inquiry into alleged Child Sexual Exploitative and Abuse Material (CSEAM) related advertisements on the platform.
People familiar with the matter also told PTI that Meta has admitted its mistake and to reporting child abuse content to Indian law enforcement agencies.
“Service providers have many responsibilities…once Meta has agreed to be responsible for what they have on the platform, then as the next steps, they have to start taking many more responsibilities,” sources said.
Sources said the government believes Meta – the owner of Facebook and Instagram – does not have legal immunity in this situation, although the interpretation of the law and the final determination rest with the judiciary.
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Regarding a specific question about whether Meta would lose its legal immunity in such a case, the sources maintained that it is up to the court to decide.
Ultimately, the interpretation of law is the domain of the judiciary, they pointed out.
“But we believe they do not have the immunity,” government sources said.
Those who appeared before the child rights panel included Meta India chief Arun Srinivas. While coming out, he didn’t reply to repeated media queries on what transpired in the meeting.
The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) also summoned a senior official of global tech giant Capgemini separately in connection with alleged child abuse at a day-care centre run by the company in Bengaluru.
On September 9, the NCPCR had summoned the managing director and head of Meta India in connection with its probe into alleged CSEAM-related ads on the platform.
The child rights body took suo motu cognisance of a BBC Eye report on the alleged advertisements and sought an explanation from Meta.
Meta to report child safety cases directly to I4C
Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram, has already agreed to report child safety-related matters directly to the cybercrime portal managed by the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C), as the government pushes social media platforms for stronger safeguards and greater accountability amid a crackdown on child sexual abuse material and other harmful content online.
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Protecting children on its platforms is a priority for the company, a Meta spokesperson had said, adding, “We’re committed to working with the government to ensure that the perpetrators of these crimes are held responsible.”
“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 had said.
(With inputs from PTI)