The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) on September 1, 2026 directed the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) to inquire into allegations against Meta Platforms over the access of underage children to Facebook and Instagram in India and submit an Action Taken Report (ATR) within two weeks.
The action followed a complaint by Legal Rights Protection Forum (LRPF), alleging inadequate age-assurance measures, behavioural profiling, algorithmic amplification and exposure of children to harmful content.
The complaint was filed by Hyderabad based LRPF before NHRC on August 20, 2026 was placed before the Commission on September 1, 2026, and registered as case.
The NHRC said the allegations prima facie appeared to constitute violations of the human rights of the victims. The Bench presided over by Kanoongo directed that the allegations be inquired into and the ATR submitted within two weeks.
What the LRPF alleged
The LRPF alleged that Meta has failed to adequately prevent underage children from accessing Facebook and Instagram in India.
Taking cognizance of the petition filed by the Legal Rights Protection Forum @lawinforce, the National Human Rights Commission, through its Bench presided over by Hon’ble Member Shri Priyank Kanoongo @kanoongopriyank has issued notice to the Secretary, Ministry of Electronics and… https://t.co/jqC0aa8QZN
— Legal Rights Protection Forum (@lawinforce) September 1, 2026
The complaint raised concerns over age assurance, behavioural profiling, algorithmic amplification and children’s exposure to harmful or age-inappropriate content.
It also cited risks including compulsive engagement, cyberbullying, grooming, sexual exploitation and potentially intrusive processing of children’s personal data.
The complaint referred to ongoing litigation in the United States concerning Meta and child safety, including reported testimony by former Meta engineering director Arturo Béjar about an alleged “don’t ask, don’t tell” approach towards children below 13.
The LRPF sought an independent examination of whether similar deficiencies or systemic risks exist in Meta’s operations in India.
Data protection concerns
The complaint asked the NHRC to examine Meta’s compliance with the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023, particularly provisions concerning children’s personal data and verifiable parental consent.
It questioned the reliability of Meta’s age-assurance and age-verification mechanisms and whether children’s personal data is subjected to behavioural profiling or automated inference.
The LRPF also raised the question of whether such data or inferred characteristics are used for recommender-system optimisation or engagement purposes.
Audit of Meta’s child-safety systems sought
The LRPF has sought an independent technical, algorithmic and child-rights audit of Meta’s child-safety systems in India, including age assurance, recommender-system risks, behavioural profiling, targeted advertising, child-data processing and harmful-content amplification.
The complaint also seeks examination of whether Meta has undertaken Child Rights Impact Assessment, Data Protection Impact Assessment, Human Rights Impact Assessment or equivalent internal risk assessments relating to children using its services in India.
It has called for a comprehensive Child Online Safety and Age-Assurance Framework covering privacy-preserving age assurance, verifiable parental consent, child-specific data protection, recommender-system accountability, independent algorithmic audits, transparent reporting of underage accounts and stronger child-safety-by-design and privacy-by-design requirements.
The LRPF has also sought coordination among MeitY, the Ministry of Women and Child Development (MWCD), the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR), the Data Protection Board of India and other competent authorities.
The NHRC has now asked MeitY to inquire into the allegations and submit its ATR within two weeks.
