The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has also issued a notice to Meta, seeking a detailed explanation of how the advertisements were approved and asking the company to outline the safeguards in place for reviewing paid content on Instagram.
According to government officials, Meta has been asked to respond within a week on how advertisements containing such material were allowed on the platform.
What triggered the government’s action?
The action follows a BBC World Service Eye investigation published on July 3, which found that Instagram approved paid advertisements promoting child sexual abuse material and directing users to Telegram channels where such content was allegedly being sold.
According to the report, BBC researchers identified around 30 paid Instagram advertisements from a test account in India that either promoted or linked users to CSAM through external Telegram channels.
The investigation also found that one advertisement reported through Instagram’s moderation tools was initially deemed not to have violated the platform’s policies before it was removed after Meta was contacted for comment.
Hours after the report was published, Union Electronics and IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said he had directed the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) to summon Meta over the issue.
Government’s response
Calling the matter serious, a senior MeitY official told the BBC, “The government has issued a stern notice to Meta over child sexual exploitative and abuse material appearing in paid advertisements on Instagram.”
The ministry has sought a detailed explanation of the company’s advertising review process and wants to know how such advertisements were allowed to appear despite existing moderation systems.
How did Meta respond?
Meta said it maintains a zero-tolerance policy towards child sexual exploitation and abuse and has already removed the advertisements identified in the investigation while disabling the associated advertiser accounts.
A company spokesperson said Meta relies on advanced AI-powered detection systems along with specialist review teams to identify and remove violating content. The company also said it works with child safety organisations and law enforcement agencies to strengthen enforcement.
Responding to the government’s notice, Meta reiterated that it 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.
Meta also rejected suggestions that it knowingly targeted users with such advertisements or prioritised revenue over user safety, calling those claims “categorically inaccurate.”
What the BBC investigation found
The BBC investigation involved creating a new Instagram account in India to examine the platform’s recommendation system.
After following a handful of sexually suggestive profiles, the account reportedly began receiving paid advertisements featuring adult pornography within days. Soon afterwards, it was shown advertisements promoting child sexual abuse material, some of which directed users to Telegram channels.
In its response to the BBC Investigation, Meta had said that “child exploitation is a horrific crime” and that it works aggressively to fight it on its apps.
What happens next?
Meta is expected to submit its explanation to MeitY within the seven-day deadline specified in the notice.
The ministry will review the company’s response before deciding whether any additional regulatory or legal action is required.
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