1 hr ago
Google Agrees to Report CSAM Directly to Indian Authorities
Google wants to send reports about child sexual abuse material directly to Indian authorities.
The reports would go to the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre, also called I4C.
This is different from the usual process, where reports first go to a nonprofit group in the United States.
Google said it is discussing the plan with the Indian government.
The company also said it works to find, remove, and report this harmful material.
Meta made a similar promise earlier this month.
Indian officials say protecting children is required for social media companies operating in the country.
The issue has received more attention after a watchdog reported suspected harmful advertisements on Meta’s platforms.
Google has proposed sharing child sexual abuse material information directly with India’s Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre.
The proposal would depart from the usual process of routing such reports first through a United States nonprofit organization.
Google said the plan is part of ongoing discussions with the Indian government.
Meta made a similar commitment earlier this month to report child-safety cases to Indian law-enforcement agencies.
The development follows scrutiny after the Tech Transparency Project alleged that more than 300 Meta advertisements contained suspected child sexual abuse material this year.
- Who
- Google, the Indian government, and the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre are involved; Meta has made a similar commitment.
- What
- Google has proposed directly reporting child sexual abuse material information to Indian authorities.
- Where
- India, with reports directed to the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre.
- When
- The proposal was reported during ongoing government discussions; Meta made a similar announcement earlier this month.
- Why
- The proposal is intended to strengthen efforts against online child sexual abuse material amid government scrutiny of child safety on social media platforms.
Key facts
- Company
- Recipient
- Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C)
- Government department
- India’s Ministry of Home Affairs
- Existing global practice
- Reports are generally first routed to a United States nonprofit organization
- Similar action
- Meta agreed earlier this month to report child-safety cases to appropriate Indian law-enforcement agencies
- Watchdog finding
- The Tech Transparency Project said more than 300 Meta advertisements this year contained suspected child sexual abuse material
- Government position
- Indian government sources described child safety as a non-negotiable requirement for social media platforms
Quotes
Technology company responding to discussions with the Indian government about CSAM reporting.
“As part of our ongoing discussions with the Government of India, we have respectfully proposed to operationalize the provision of relevant information to the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) in cases related to child sexual abuse material”
thestatesman.com
“detect, deter, remove, and report child sexual abuse material.”
thestatesman.com






