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New Delhi, July 4
The Information Technology Ministry will summon Meta officials after allegations that advertisements promoting child sexual abuse material (CSAM) appeared on Instagram, escalating regulatory pressure on the US technology company for the second time this week. The sources said that Information Technology Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has directed officials at the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) to issue a notice seeking an explanation from Meta.
The move follows a BBC investigation that alleged Meta’s recommendation systems and advertising platform allowed content promoting child sexual abuse material to reach users despite the company policies banning such material. According to the report, some paid advertisements on Facebook and Instagram allegedly used terms including “rape video” and “child video” directing users to Telegram channels where illegal content was reportedly being sold. The government officials said the notice will ask Meta how such advertisements were approved, what action has been taken since the allegations emerged and what additional safeguards the company plans to introduce to prevent similar incidents.
Sources also said the government believes social media platforms cannot rely solely on intermediary protections when allegations involve paid advertisements that generate revenue. If the claims are proven, officials say Meta could be held accountable under Indian law.
Meta did not immediately respond to the government’s latest action. However, in response to the BBC investigation, the company said it has a “zero-tolerance” policy towards child sexual abuse material, including in advertisements.
The company said it uses artificial intelligence and specialist teams to detect and remove illegal content but acknowledged it faces an ongoing challenge from criminals attempting to evade its systems across its global user base.
The Information Technology Act prescribes strict penalties for creating, publishing, transmitting or storing child sexual abuse material online. The IT Rules also require social media companies to act quickly against such content with repeated violations potentially affecting the legal protections available to online intermediaries.
The officials said the government maintains zero tolerance policy towards child sexual abuse material and has regularly blocked websites hosting such content while working with international agencies, including Interpol, to identify and remove illegal material.
The latest development comes just days after the government questioned Meta over WhatsApp’s proposed username feature, raising concerns that it could increase impersonation, phishing and other cybercrime risks. Authorities have asked the company to pause the rollout while consultations continue.
