Online safety of children is a fundamental principle for any social media firm to operate in India and it’s non-negotiable, officials said, adding they are continuously engaging with social media platforms to curb the circulation of harmful content.
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.
In a first step towards making social media platforms safe for children, Meta will report all child safety matters to law enforcement agencies, though a lot more needs to be done, sources said. They said the Centre is continuously in talks with all other platforms to identify and remove such content. Action will be taken against any platform that doesn’t take proactive steps for the safety of children, they said. The NHRC told the police to check whether Meta and other similar platforms were compliant with mandatory reporting obligations under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.
