Science TechnologyTuesday, 22 September 2026·The Hindu - National
Google to report child sexual abuse material directly to Indian authorities: key policy shift for cyber governance
On September 22, 2026, Google agreed to report flagged child sexual abuse material directly to Indian authorities instead of routing it through a U.S. nonprofit.
Key highlights
Direct fact
On September 22, 2026, Google said it would report content flagged as child sexual abuse material directly to Indian authorities, ending the earlier route through the U.S.-based National Center for Missing & Exploited Children.
Key specifics
- Google’s move follows a similar announcement by Meta last week in 2026.
- The earlier reporting system routed cases through the U.S.-based National Center for Missing & Exploited Children.
- Indian officials said the intermediary process delayed reports before they reached domestic police.
- The CyberTipline of the U.S. nonprofit received more than 21.3 million reports in 2025.
- India is the largest user market for Google’s YouTube and Meta’s Facebook.
Exam lens
Question type: cyber governance and digital regulation, Google, Meta, National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, CyberTipline, 2025. TNPSC may ask which platform changed its reporting route and why direct reporting matters for faster police action.