Google has agreed to move toward directly reporting cases involving child sexual abuse material (CSAM) to Indian authorities, marking a change from its earlier global reporting process. The company has proposed operationalising the sharing of relevant information with the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) under the Ministry of Home Affairs.
Previously, suspected CSAM reports from major technology platforms were generally routed through the US-based National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) before being passed on to law-enforcement agencies in the relevant country. Indian authorities have raised concerns that this process could delay intervention in cases where children may face immediate risks.
Google said the proposed change is part of its ongoing discussions with the Government of India and reiterated its efforts to detect, remove and report child sexual abuse material from its platforms.
The development comes shortly after Meta agreed to report child-safety-related cases directly to India’s cybercrime portal managed by I4C. The moves come amid increased government attention toward online child safety and the handling of harmful content on digital platforms.
Google’s announcement comes shortly after Meta agreed to directly report child-safety matters to India’s cybercrime portal operated by I4C. The developments indicate increased cooperation between large technology platforms and Indian authorities over the detection and reporting of online child-abuse material.
According to reports, Google India is expected to share information concerning CSAM cases and repeat offenders once the necessary technical framework for the reporting mechanism is established.
The issue has received increased attention in India amid concerns about the spread of child sexual abuse material online. Authorities have been pushing technology platforms to strengthen systems for detecting, removing and reporting such material and to cooperate more directly with Indian law-enforcement agencies.
Google has reiterated that preventing its platforms from being used to create, store or distribute CSAM is a priority and that it invests in systems designed to detect and remove such content.
The proposed direct-reporting mechanism could therefore create a more direct channel between technology companies and Indian cybercrime authorities when suspected child sexual abuse material involving India is identified. The exact operational framework and implementation process are still being worked out through discussions with the government.