NHRC issues notice to Meta, MeitY, Etah district admin over ‘exploitation’ of minors

NHRC seeks reports over alleged use of minors in scripted social media videos in UP’s Etah

NEW DELHI: The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) on Tuesday took cognizance of a complaint alleging the repeated use of minor children in “scripted, objectionable and politically sensitive” social media videos linked to a purported coaching centre in Etah, Uttar Pradesh.A bench headed by NHRC member Priyank Kanoongo issued notices to the senior superintendent of police and district magistrate of Etah, Meta India’s managing director and country head, and the secretary of the ministry of electronics and information technology (MeitY), seeking action taken reports within two weeks, news agency ANI reported.The complaint raised concerns over the children’s dignity, privacy, psychological well-being, parental consent and possible exploitation. The NHRC has directed Etah police to identify the children involved and ensure their protection and counselling.The police have also been asked to identify those controlling the social media account and examine the role of adults involved in scripting, recording, uploading or facilitating the videos. The commission directed that appropriate legal action, including registration of an FIR, be taken if a cognizable offence is found.

The NHRC has separately asked Meta to explain how content featuring minors was repeatedly uploaded and circulated, what steps were taken to restrict or remove it, and whether any monetisation or commercial benefit was generated from the content.