MeitY Notice To Meta Sparks Renewed Calls For Crackdown On Online Child Abuse Content

New Delhi: Taking note of a media report, in which child rights experts have called for action against the circulation of Child Sexual Exploitative and Abuse Material (CSEAM) on Instagram, the Union Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has issued a notice to Meta and sought a detailed explanation over the matter within a week.

The Ministry has also asked Instagram to disable all ads and content promoting and facilitating access to CSEAM, according to sources. The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) has also taken a suo motu cognisance of the alleged CSEAM circulating through Instagram.

CSEAM refers to images and videos that show children being sexually abused, exploited or depicted in a sexual manner. These materials ensnare victims in a continuous cycle of exploitation, stripping them of their dignity and perpetuating their suffering in the digital space.

In the report, child rights experts have stressed on strict enforcement of laws to deal with CSEAM cases. Online child sexual abuse, which includes CSEAM, is a crime that crosses international boundaries and represents a profound violation of children's rights and their childhood.

Crimes Against Children In India

According to the recent National Crime Records Bureau's (NCRB's) 'Crime in India 2024 report', a total of 1,87,702 crimes against children were reported across the country in 2024. These include 1,78,460 from states and 9,242 from Union Territories (UTs). Among the UTs, Delhi reported the highest with 7,662 cases.

During the 2024 year, India received approximately 2.4 million Cyber Tipline reports. India Child Protection (ICP), a partner of Just Rights for Children (JRC), which is a network working for child rights across the country, said it provided technical assistance to law enforcement agencies in processing 142,806 Cyber Tipline reports.

This support enhanced the capacity of law enforcement agencies to prioritise actionable intelligence, expedite investigations, identify victims and offenders, and facilitate timely legal intervention.

“We have been working to build the capacity of law enforcement agencies in different states like Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, Punjab, Kerala, among others,” the JRC said.

Child Rights Experts Express Concern

Speaking to ETV Bharat, child rights expert Ravi Kant, who is also National Convenor of JRC, said, "The landmark judgment secured by the Just Rights for Children Alliance (JRCA) leaves no room for ambiguity. The Supreme Court has unequivocally directed that intermediaries shall be bound to not only remove child pornographic content but also make an immediate report of such content to the concerned police units in the manner specified under the POCSO Act and the rules thereunder, otherwise, it cannot claim exemption from the liability under Section 79 of the IT Act and would be liable to prosecution."

"Child exploitation is non-negotiable. There can be no compromise when it comes to protecting them. The Supreme Court's message is clear: Intermediaries must be investigated and prosecuted wherever they enable or profit from the exploitation of children," he said. Kant said the government needs to ensure the compliance of the Apex court's judgement.

Expressing deep concern over the matter, another child rights expert Miguel Das told ETV Bharat that after years of technological advancement and enormous financial resources of technology companies failure to protect children can no longer be dismissed as a technical lapse. "At some point, failure to protect children stops being a failure and starts being a choice."

Das, who is the founder of Utsah Child Rights Organisation, further said, "MeitY needs to stop consulting and start enforcement."

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