Delhi Delhi. The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) met representatives of major social media platforms to address issues related to the safety of children online and explore ways to protect them.In a recent meeting with representatives of companies like Google, YouTube, Meta, X, Snapchat, Reddit, ShareChat and Bumble, the Commission sought to explore ways to protect children from harmful content and online exploitation.
The key issues discussed included mechanisms for age verification, tools to identify and block child sexual abuse material (CSAM), support for law enforcement agencies, and parameters for reporting cases to the National Centre for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC). The apex child rights body emphasised the need for better safety features on social media platforms, with a focus on keeping children safe from predators and explicit content.
The letter sent after the meeting made several recommendations. Notably, it sought mandatory know your customer (KYC) processes to verify user identities on platforms and mandatory reporting of CSAM under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012.
The commission also emphasised the importance of parental consent for minors entering into contracts on social media platforms and the need for clear disclaimers warning parents about adult content. In addition, the platforms were urged to cooperate with NCMEC by providing detailed reports on cases involving child exploitation, including information on child pornography and child abuse. These reports should include data from January to June 2024. The NCPCR has requested that social media platforms implement these recommendations and submit an action taken report within seven days of the issuance of the letter.
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