NHRC Issues Notice To Meta Over CSAM On Instagram & Facebook

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has issued notices to Meta and the police chiefs of eight states over alleged violations linked to pornographic and age-inappropriate content on Instagram and Facebook. This content may contain Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM), which is a punishable offence under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.

According to NHRC member Priyank Kanoongo, the availability of paid content containing CSAM on Instagram could amount to a punishable offence. Kanoongo stated that such allegations require a criminal investigation and that an FIR should be registered against Meta if the content is found to violate the law.

The NHRC has asked authorities in the eight states to investigate the alleged violations and take appropriate action. The commission has provided 50 URLs to the concerned authorities for investigation. The Information Technology Secretary has also been made a party in the proceedings.

Kanoongo warned that if the authorities fail to act despite being given the URLs, the NHRC will escalate the matter to the Centre. This move adds a fresh legal front to the mounting pressure Meta is already facing from the Indian government over content moderation and compliance failures on its platforms.

The NHRC notice comes just days after Meta's global leadership was summoned to New Delhi for back-to-back meetings with the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY). Chief Global Affairs Officer Joel Kaplan met Union IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on successive days this week, with government officials pressing the company on content moderation failures and its compliance with Indian law.

During these discussions, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg apologised to the Indian government, expressing regret over CSAM, deepfake material and broader operational errors on Facebook, Instagram and the company's other services. The apology came after a parliamentary committee had demanded an unqualified personal apology from Zuckerberg within three days.

The Indian government has been increasing pressure on Meta to comply with its laws and regulations. The company has faced several notices and summons from the government over content moderation and compliance failures. The NHRC notice is the latest development in this ongoing saga.

The issue of CSAM on social media platforms is a serious concern for the Indian government. The government has been working to curb the spread of such content and has introduced several laws and regulations to address the issue. The NHRC notice to Meta is a significant step in this direction.

In conclusion, the NHRC notice to Meta over CSAM on Instagram and Facebook is a significant development in the ongoing saga of content moderation and compliance failures on social media platforms. The Indian government is increasing pressure on Meta to comply with its laws and regulations, and the company faces a fresh legal front in the form of the NHRC notice.