NHRC Notice to Meta, Centre Over Minors' Exploitation Videos

Gist The National Human Rights Commission NHRC has issued notices to Meta , the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology MeitY , and the Etah district administration over the alleged exploitation of minors in derogatory and politically charged Instagram videos. This intervention highlights the growing regulatory scrutiny over children's digital privacy, psychological well-being, and potential commercial exploitation on social media. For a civil services aspirant, it underscores the practical application of child protection mechanisms and the evolving demand for platform accountability in the digital space. Background The National Human Rights Commission NHRC is a statutory human rights watchdog empowered to intervene, investigate, and demand action reports from authorities when fundamental rights—such as a child's right to dignity and privacy—are violated. The Child Welfare Committee CWC and the District Child Protection Unit are statutory mechanisms at the district level mandated to ensure the care, protection, treatment, and rehabilitation of vulnerable or exploited children. MeitY is the nodal ministry for digital governance, overseeing intermediary platforms like Meta Facebook and Instagram . Intermediaries are increasingly being held accountable not just for hosting exploitative…