Google Proposes Direct Reporting Of Child Abuse Content To Indian Authorities: Spokesperson

Google on Monday said it has proposed operationalising the sharing of information on cases involving child sexual abuse material (CSAM) with the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) under the Ministry of Home Affairs, potentially reducing reliance on international reporting channels.

“Google is deeply committed to fighting CSAM online and preventing its platforms from being used to create, store or distribute such material,” a Google spokesperson said in response to a query.

The company said it invests significantly in detecting, removing and reporting CSAM and has proposed providing relevant information directly to I4C as part of its ongoing discussions with the Indian government.

Google Considers Direct Reporting Of CSAM Cases To I4C

The development was first reported by Business Standard. Google’s proposal is still under discussion, and it was not immediately clear which government ministry or department received it.

The move comes days after Meta announced that it would begin reporting child-safety matters directly to the cybercrime portal managed by I4C.

Google currently follows a reporting process involving the US-based National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC), similar to Meta.

According to Google, when CSAM is detected on its platforms, the company removes the material and files a CyberTipline report with NCMEC or other relevant authorities. Such reports may contain the offending material, contextual information and, where applicable, details that could help identify the user or child victim.

NCMEC subsequently shares reports with law enforcement agencies around the world, where appropriate.

Meta Had Announced Direct Reporting To I4C

Meta said on September 15 that it would report child-safety matters directly to the cybercrime portal operated by I4C.

“Protecting children on our platforms is a priority for us and we are committed to working with the government to ensure that the perpetrators of these crimes are held responsible,” a Meta spokesperson said.

The company said the move was intended to strengthen efforts to combat child sexual exploitation and related online harms.

Centre Pushes Platforms To Report CSAM To Indian Agencies

The government’s increased scrutiny of CSAM on social media platforms, particularly Meta-owned Instagram and Facebook, followed a BBC Eye investigation that found advertisements on Instagram containing phrases such as “rape video” and “child video”. The advertisements reportedly directed users to Telegram channels allegedly offering CSAM.

Following the report, officials from the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) summoned Meta representatives.

The Centre has maintained that technology platforms should report such cases directly to Indian law enforcement agencies rather than relying solely on international reporting mechanisms.

A senior MeitY official had earlier told Hindustan Times that Meta was reporting cases to NCMEC, but the government wanted the company to also share them with Indian authorities.

The government has also maintained that child safety online is a fundamental obligation for social media platforms operating in India and is “non-negotiable”.