New Delhi, July 5 -- The Centre has issued a notice to Meta over allegations that paid advertisements on Instagram promoted or facilitated access to child sexual exploitative and abuse material (CSEAM), marking another round of regulatory action against the social media giant. The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has ordered Instagram to remove all advertisements and content linked to such material, sought a detailed explanation within seven days, and asked the company to explain how the advertisements were approved despite its stated policies. The move follows a BBC investigation that alleged Meta's recommendation system amplified videos containing child sexual abuse material (CSAM) and that paid advertisements on Facebook and Instagram directed users to illegal content.
Government sources said the notice was issued on Saturday evening after IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw directed MeitY officials a day earlier to summon Meta over the allegations.
According to sources, the ministry has directed Instagram to disable all advertisements and content that promote or facilitate access to CSEAM while providing details of the action already taken by the company. Officials have also sought information on safeguards Meta plans to introduce to prevent similar incidents in future.
The notice reportedly asks Meta to explain how advertisements containing terms such as "rape video" and "child video" were allowed on the platform. The BBC investigation alleged that such advertisements redirected users to Telegram channels where child sexual abuse material was being offered for sale.
Government sources said the ministry is also seeking immediate corrective measures against what it described as the "algorithmic amplification" of CSEAM. Officials are expected to examine both the technical and regulatory aspects of the matter.
Sources said Meta cannot rely on the defence that the content was uploaded by third parties if the allegations involve paid advertisements from which the platform earns revenue.
"If the allegations are found to be true, they will be held accountable for the advertisements, for which the platform receives revenue," a government source said.
Officials said failure to provide the required information or comply with legal obligations could invite action under the Information Technology Act and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012. Section 67B of the Information Technology Act provides punishment for publishing or transmitting electronic content depicting children in sexually explicit acts.
The government has maintained that it follows a zero-tolerance approach towards online child sexual abuse material and expects digital platforms to detect, remove and report such content without delay. Authorities have also blocked websites carrying child sexual abuse material in the past using lists received from Interpol through the Central Bureau of Investigation, India's national nodal agency for the international police organisation. Government sources said any agency, authority or individual may file complaints against advertisers or platforms if they believe offences under the law have been committed. Technology companies have repeatedly been warned that failure to curb child sexual abuse material and other harmful online content could attract regulatory scrutiny and legal action.
Responding to questions on the BBC report, a Meta spokesperson said the company has a zero tolerance policy for soliciting or sharing child sexual abuse material, including in advertisements.
"We use advanced AI technology to proactively detect violating content and individuals, but we are in a constant battle with criminals who hide among our 3.5 billion users and try to evade our detection," the spokesperson said.
The spokesperson added that Meta's specialist teams continue to improve detection systems, develop new technologies to identify offenders, block links to violating websites and share intelligence with other companies to help tackle such activity.
The latest notice marks the second time this week that Meta has come under the Centre's scrutiny. Earlier, the government questioned WhatsApp's proposed username feature, saying it could increase risks of online fraud, phishing, impersonation and so called digital arrest scams. The Centre asked the company to pause the rollout until consultations were completed and sought an explanation on why action should not be initiated under the Information Technology Act and related rules. According to government sources, WhatsApp has agreed to defer the rollout and Meta has met IT Ministry officials while preparing its response within the prescribed timeline.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.