Daijiworld Media Network - New Delhi

New Delhi, Aug 18: US-based technology giant Meta is stepping up efforts to prevent the spread and reappearance of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) across its platforms amid ongoing discussions with the Indian government, according to a report.

NDTV Profit reported that Meta’s engagement with the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has centred on the company’s handling of illegal content and the broader responsibility of digital platforms to ensure harmful material does not resurface after being identified and removed.

The company is taking measures to tackle the proliferation of such content and remains particularly cautious over CSAM, which constitutes a clear violation of Indian law, the report said.

Meta is also working to address instances in which previously identified and flagged material reappears on its platforms.

According to sources cited in the report, the government has reiterated that platforms could lose safe harbour protection if they fail to comply with applicable legal requirements. Officials, however, are not seeking to censor social media platforms but are focused on ensuring compliance with Indian laws.

“Platforms need to strike the right balance between social good and harms,” the report said.

Focus on harmful online content

The discussions have also highlighted concerns over issues such as social media addiction and the circulation of exploitative content.

The government has stressed the importance of taking India’s cultural context into account while framing and enforcing content moderation policies, sources said.

MeitY is also exercising its statutory powers sparingly and remains focused on ensuring that digital platforms fulfil their legal obligations, according to the report.

While intermediaries can potentially lose safe harbour protection for hosting prohibited content, whether such protection applies in a particular case is ultimately for courts to determine based on compliance with prescribed legal conditions.

The discussions come as regulators worldwide intensify scrutiny of major online platforms over content moderation, user safety and compliance with local laws.