Meta faces FIR over child sexual abuse material as Delhi Police acts on NHRC directions
The scrutiny of Meta’s child-safety systems has moved from official notices and inquiries to a police investigation. NHRC member Priyank Kanoongo announced on November 5 that Delhi Police had registered an FIR following the commission’s directions.
“Acting on our directions, Delhi Police has registered an FIR regarding the availability of Child Sexual Exploitative and Abuse Material (CSEAM) on platforms operated by @MetaIndia,” Kanoongo said in a post on X.
The announcement does not, however, disclose the FIR number, the specific legal provisions invoked or the platforms and individuals named in the case. Delhi Police has not publicly detailed the allegations under investigation. The registration of an FIR also does not establish guilt.
The development follows months of scrutiny by two national rights bodies, the NHRC and the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR), over alleged advertisements and content linked to child sexual abuse on social media.
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The controversy gathered momentum after a BBC Eye investigation reported in July that paid advertisements on Instagram allegedly used search terms such as “rape video” and “child video” to direct users towards Telegram channels offering child sexual abuse material.
The investigation also raised questions about how such advertisements passed Meta’s review systems and whether its recommendation mechanisms helped harmful content reach users.
The NCPCR took suo motu cognisance of the report and issued a notice to Meta on July 3, seeking an explanation. After receiving the company's response, the child rights body initiated a formal inquiry. Senior Meta India executives, including its India head Arun Srinivas, appeared before the commission in September.
The NHRC separately sought explanations from the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and Delhi Police. Its inquiry examined whether Meta had fulfilled its legal reporting obligations and taken timely steps to preserve evidence and protect potential victims.
Meta changes child-abuse reporting policy after NCPCR summons
One significant outcome of the September proceedings was Meta’s decision to report child-safety cases directly to India’s cybercrime reporting system, managed by the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C).
A Meta spokesperson said: “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 spokesperson added: “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 Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (14C).”
The move strengthened the direct reporting channel between the company and Indian authorities, rather than relying primarily on the earlier process involving the US-based National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.
Meta deploys new AI tools as child-safety scrutiny intensifies
Meta has also announced additional technology measures. In an October 7 update, the company said it had introduced artificial intelligence tools to identify advertisements that appear harmless but may direct users to illegal material hosted elsewhere.
The company said it acted against 5.3 million pieces of child sexual exploitation content on Facebook and Instagram in India between January and June 2026. It claimed more than 98 per cent were detected and addressed before users reported them. Globally, it reported action against 33.2 million such pieces of content during the same period.
These figures are Meta's own disclosures and do not independently establish how effectively the company has prevented harmful material from circulating.
The FIR now brings a new dimension to the controversy. The investigation will have to establish what material was available, how it reached users, whether reporting obligations were met and who may be legally responsible. For India's digital platforms, the case raises a wider question: how much responsibility should technology companies bear when abusive material appears within systems they operate?
(With inputs from ANI)