The company's India head, Arun Srinivas, has been summoned by the child rights body on Thursday.
Government sources state that Meta, due to its algorithmic amplification of content, can no longer be considered a "simple intermediary" but rather a "service provider," implying greater responsibility and potential loss of legal immunity. This shift comes as Meta commits to directly reporting child abuse content to Indian law enforcement, amidst increasing government scrutiny over harmful online content and algorithmic bias.
The Supreme Court has declared that children have a fundamental right to access and use the internet, directing the Centre to establish a national database for detecting and removing child sexually explicit visual content. The ruling, stemming from a plea by NGO Just Rights for Children Alliance, emphasises the internet's value for learning and expression while acknowledging the need for safeguards like parental consent and a "child mode" for accounts, rather than blanket restrictions.
The Indian government is questioning whether Meta's recommendation systems and paid content promotion align with its status as an intermediary under the IT Act, raising concerns about the company's liability for content it actively decides to show users.
The government is questioning the visiting Meta team on whether the company is adhering to the law of the land, following summons to the social media giant over temporary restriction of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Facebook post recently, sources said on Thursday.
A former deputy head teacher of a London primary school has pleaded guilty to paying and instructing teenagers in India to abuse younger children.
Experts urge internet platforms to adopt prevention-by-design and stronger AI systems to curb child sexual exploitation material and improve online child safety.
A health inspector from the Thiruvananthapuram corporation, Anuroop, has been arrested in connection with the alleged sexual assault of a 16-year-old girl from Andhra Pradesh at a spa in Kovalam. The arrest follows an investigation by a Special Investigation Team, which also led to the arrest of spa owners. The case involves cash transactions between the inspector and the establishment, and the girl's maternal aunt and her husband have also been taken into custody.
The Maharashtra State Commission for Protection of Child Rights is recommending that the state government mandate the inclusion of the bride and groom's date of birth on wedding invitations to combat child marriages.
Maharashtra Cyber has arrested a Telegram-based seller, Adiraj Rajendra Bait, for allegedly dealing in Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse Material (CSEAM). The arrest followed an extensive investigation involving digital ecosystem monitoring, technical verification, and forensic analysis of the accused's mobile phone.
The UN General Assembly has adopted a resolution, co-sponsored by India, to designate November 27 as the International Day for the Elimination of Child, Early and Forced Marriage. This global initiative aims to raise awareness and accelerate efforts to combat this harmful practice, which disproportionately affects women and girls, hindering their education, health, and overall human rights.
Meta's global team met with top Indian IT Ministry officials following government summons regarding the temporary restriction of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Facebook post and ongoing concerns about child sexual abuse material (CSAM) on its platforms.
A court in Maharashtra's Palghar district has sentenced a 55-year-old man to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment for sexually assaulting his seven-year-old daughter. The crime came to light in November 2020 after neighbours alerted an NGO. The court noted the man exploited his position of trust, making the child believe his actions were right.
The Supreme Court commuted the death sentence of a man convicted of sexually assaulting and strangling his six-year-old step-daughter to life imprisonment for the remainder of his natural life. The court affirmed his conviction but cited mitigating circumstances and the state's failure to exclude the possibility of his reformation, while also highlighting issues with the trial court's sentencing procedure.
A new report indicates a significant rise in reported sexual offences against children in India, but also highlights strong prosecution rates and detection systems.
The Central Crime Branch in Chennai has uncovered evidence suggesting that granite businessman R Veeramani's alleged sexual harassment of minors may span over two decades, predating 2003. The investigation, which began with a 2019 video clip, has identified multiple survivors, leading to charges under the POCSO Act, IT Act, and SC/ST Act against Veeramani and two accomplices. The Child Welfare Committee is also monitoring the case for further action.
Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) has charged Telegram co-founder Pavel Durov with facilitating terrorist activities and initiated procedures to place him on the international wanted list, according to Russian state-run news agency TASS.
The Indian government has summoned Meta's global head of public policy after Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Facebook post, addressing youth and promising action against paper leaks, was temporarily removed. Meta attributed the removal to a 'glitch' in its automated content filters, an explanation the government deems insufficient, demanding further discussions.
Minor British Sikh girls sexually abused by gangs of Asian men who befriend them over a period of time usually do not report the crime to authorities, according to a new investigation by the BBC.
A Bihar court on Thursday awarded 10 years imprisonment to Praduman Kumar, locally known as 'Father Teressa', head of Lok Seva Ashram, an orphanage in village Chakwaja under Patedhi Belsar block in Vaisali district, for sexually abusing children.
An 11-year-old rape survivor in Yamunanagar, Haryana, has given birth to a baby girl at the District Civil Hospital. Both the mother and baby are in stable condition. The minor's pregnancy was discovered in May, leading to the arrest of the accused under the POCSO Act. The family has consented to hand over the newborn to the Child Welfare Committee.
Seven Class X students of a hostel in Igatpuri, Nashik, have been booked for allegedly sexually abusing junior students. The hostel superintendent has also been booked for failing to take action after being informed of the abuse.
In the third such incident in the past four months, a three-year-old girl student was allegedly sexually abused inside a private school in Bangalore.
According to the police, the survivor played a crucial role in exposing her alleged abusers by saving their phone numbers and documenting their details, all vital evidence in the case.
Shivamurthy Murugha Sharanaru, the chief pontiff of Murugha Math booked under the POCSO Act for alleged sexual abuse of high school girls was arrested on Thursday, police sources said.
Shocking incidents of sexual abuse and molestation by teachers came to light during the one-day hearing of the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR), in Chennai on Wednesday, which was attended by school children from different parts of Tamil Nadu.
Congress leader Kumari Selja expresses concern over the NCRB report highlighting a surge in crimes against children in Haryana, urging the state government to take immediate action.
Government departments requested social media platforms to remove 2.44 lakh pieces of content between March and July, with states initiating 82% of these requests. The IT Intermediaries Rules 2021 were amended to reduce takedown time to three hours. The PIB Fact Check unit clarified its role in content moderation, refuting claims of automated blocking by Meta and emphasising the need to address lawlessness in cyberspace.
A Padma awardee of Assam, accused of sexually abusing a minor girl he was fostering, has obtained an interim anticipatory bail from Gauhati High Court to evade arrest after a case was registered against him.
The Supreme Court has directed the Centre to explore a statutory framework to ensure social media intermediaries comply with Indian laws regarding minors, particularly concerning their inability to independently enter into contracts. The court highlighted the need for safeguards to protect children from potential harms on digital platforms, including exploitation and misuse of data, and asked the Solicitor General to examine incorporating these requirements into intermediary rules.
A man in Meghalaya's East Garo Hills has been arrested for allegedly sharing obscene content on social media platforms. The accused, a resident of Williamnagar, is accused of uploading sexually explicit content targeting women using vulgar language. A case has been registered against him under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Information Technology Act, 2000.
A POCSO court in Keralam has sentenced a 64-year-old man, Abdul Razak, to 20 years in prison for sexually assaulting a nine-year-old girl in October 2023. The court also imposed a fine of Rs 1.5 lakh. The incident led to a mob attack on the accused, for which his wife filed a separate case.
The Supreme Court has sought responses from the Union ministries of electronics and information technology and law and justice regarding a plea for safeguards for minors on social media. The NGO 'Just Rights for Children Alliance' filed the plea, arguing that social media platforms should not enter into contracts with children under 18, citing their statutory incapacity to contract and the risks of online harm.
Police sources said the seer was questioned for several hours after his arrest late on Thursday night. He reportedly developed some health complication soon after he was sent to jail.
The English Football Association (FA) has launched an internal review to examine allegations of children being sexually abused at professional soccer clubs.
A new biography has claimed that the talk show host was spoiled as a child.
Simone Biles said on Monday she was sexually abused by former USA Gymnastics team physician Larry Nassar, the latest in a list of female athletes to accuse the doctor of misconduct.
The police did not seek extension of the police custody in which he was held since September 2.
Messaging platform Telegram has submitted its reply to the IT Ministry's notice regarding its 'username' feature, which allows users to communicate without sharing phone numbers, following a similar submission by WhatsApp.
Ariana Kukors, who represented the United States in the 2012 Olympic Games, said Sean Hutchison, then a coach for USA Swimming's national team, began "grooming" her for a sexual relationship when she was 13.
