Google to report online child sexual abuse material directly to government

A Google spokesperson described the proposed change as part of Google's ongoing discussions with the Indian government.

In Short

• Move follows Meta's similar commitment last week
• Indian govt seeks faster action on child abuse cases
• Govt argues direct reporting avoids delays from US intermediary

Google has agreed to report child sexual abuse material linked to India directly to domestic law enforcement agencies instead of first routing such cases through a US-based non-profit.

The decision, announced on Monday, follows a similar commitment by Meta last week. It came after the Indian government pressed technology companies to speed up reporting in cases where children may be in immediate danger.

Google and Meta have traditionally reported suspected child sexual abuse material to the US-based National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, which then forwards the information to law enforcement agencies in the country concerned.

Indian officials argued that this system delays intervention by domestic police, particularly when a child faces an immediate threat.

A Google spokesperson said the company “invests significantly to detect, deter, remove, and report child sexual abuse material”. The proposed change, the spokesperson added, was part of its ongoing discussions with the Indian government.

India is the largest market by users for both Google-owned YouTube and Meta’s Facebook.

GOOGLE FOLLOWS META

Meta agreed last week to report child sexual abuse cases directly to Indian law enforcement agencies following discussions with the government over online child safety.

“Online safety of children is a fundamental principle for any social media to operate in India, and it is non-negotiable,” government sources said.

They described Meta’s decision as a first step and said talks with other platforms were continuing to ensure that such material was detected, removed and reported.

The pressure intensified after Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg apologised last month over the circulation of child sexual abuse material on the company’s platforms. Meta owns Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, Messenger and Threads.

A GROWING GLOBAL CONCERN

The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children’s CyberTipline received more than 21.3 million reports of suspected child sexual exploitation worldwide in 2025.

The threat has grown with generative artificial intelligence, which can be used to rapidly create realistic, non-consensual images and videos.

The US non-profit remains the main international clearing house for such reports.

However, India wants cases linked to the country reported directly to domestic law enforcement agencies, allowing them to act without waiting for information to pass through an overseas intermediary.

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