Archive · 22 Sep 2026
Google Proposes Direct Child Abuse Reports to Indian Authorities
Google wants to send reports about suspected child sexual abuse material directly to Indian authorities.
The reports would go to the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre, or I4C.
Usually, technology companies send these reports first to a nonprofit group in the United States.
Indian officials say this extra step can delay help when a child may be in immediate danger.
Google said its plan is still part of discussions with the Indian government.
One report described the move as an agreement, while Google described it as a proposal.
Meta recently made a similar commitment for cases in India.
The issue has received attention after a watchdog reported more than 300 suspected harmful advertisements on Meta platforms.
Google said it has agreed or proposed to report child sexual abuse material information directly to India’s Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre.
The move would depart from the usual process of sending reports first to the U.S.-based National Center for Missing & Exploited Children.
Google described the plan as part of ongoing discussions with the Indian government and said it invests in detecting, removing, and reporting such material.
The proposal follows Meta’s recent commitment to report child-safety cases directly to appropriate Indian law-enforcement agencies.
Indian officials cited delays in the intermediary system, while the Tech Transparency Project reported more than 300 suspected CSAM-related Meta advertisements 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 agreed or proposed to report information about child sexual abuse material directly to Indian authorities.
- When
- The announcement was made on Monday during ongoing discussions; Meta made a similar announcement the previous week.
- Where
- India, with information intended for the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre.
- Why
- Indian officials want to reduce delays caused by routing reports through a U.S. nonprofit and improve responses to cases involving possible child danger.
Indian Authorities and Child-Safety Advocates
Technology Companies and Existing Reporting System
Direct reporting versus intermediary routing
Indian Authorities and Child-Safety Advocates
Indian officials argued that sending reports directly to domestic authorities could reduce delays, especially when a child may be in active danger.
Technology Companies and Existing Reporting System
Google and Meta have traditionally sent reports through the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, which relays them to law enforcement in the relevant country.
Status of Google’s plan
Indian Authorities and Child-Safety Advocates
Reports on the announcement describe Google as agreeing to provide the information directly to Indian authorities.
Technology Companies and Existing Reporting System
Google described the action as a proposal being discussed with the Indian government, so its operational status remains differently characterized in the reports.
Platform accountability
Indian Authorities and Child-Safety Advocates
Indian government sources said child safety is a non-negotiable requirement for social media platforms operating in India, amid scrutiny of harmful material.
Technology Companies and Existing Reporting System
Google said it invests significantly to detect, deter, remove, and report child sexual abuse material; Meta also committed to reporting relevant cases outside its internal moderation systems.
- Company
- Proposed recipient
- Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C), under India’s Ministry of Home Affairs
- Existing reporting route
- Reports have generally been sent first to the U.S.-based National Center for Missing & Exploited Children
- Google’s description
- Google called the plan part of its ongoing discussions with the Indian government
- Similar action
- Meta recently committed to reporting child-safety cases to appropriate Indian law-enforcement agencies
- Reported watchdog finding
- The Tech Transparency Project said more than 300 Facebook and Instagram advertisements this year contained suspected child sexual abuse material
- Global CyberTipline figure
- The U.S. nonprofit’s CyberTipline received more than 21.3 million reports of suspected child sexual exploitation worldwide in 2025
