Google To Bypass US Intermediary, Report Child Abuse Directly To Indian Authorities

India-West News Desk

NEW DELHI- Google has agreed to report cases involving child sexual abuse material directly to Indian law enforcement authorities, following discussions between the company and the Union government on the detection and reporting of such material online.

The government had sought to remove delays involved in routing such reports through an overseas organization, particularly in cases where children could face an immediate or continuing threat.

Google’s decision marks a change from the reporting system used by major online platforms, including Google and Meta. Detected cases have traditionally been sent to the US-based National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC), which operates an international clearinghouse that reviews the reports before forwarding them to law enforcement agencies in the relevant countries.

Indian officials had raised concerns that this additional step could delay the transfer of digital evidence to local police.

Meta had earlier agreed to a similar direct reporting mechanism for cases in India. Indian officials subsequently sought comparable arrangements with other major technology companies, including Google and Microsoft.

A Google spokesperson said the company invests in technology and technical resources to identify, deter, remove and report child sexual abuse material. The spokesperson said the change follows Google’s ongoing discussions with the Indian government.

The development comes as regulators in the United States and European Union have also pressured technology companies to strengthen automated scanning tools and speed up incident reporting.