Storyboard18 presents FAST FIVE
We bring you top five news updates from the world of advertising, marketing, and business of brands.
Meta India under scrutiny: Will age become the new battleground for algorithms and advertising?
Five years before this week’s summons in New Delhi, a documentary called The Social Dilemma told audiences something that felt uncomfortable precisely because it was so plausible. It argued that recommendation engines did not know or care whether the person scrolling at midnight was a bored adult or a lonely fourteen year old. The algorithm simply optimised for attention, and attention, it turned out, was easiest to hold when it exploited insecurity, novelty and repetition. The film was dismissed by some as alarmist. It has aged, uncomfortably, into a prediction.
This week, that prediction arrived at Meta India’s doorstep in a far more literal sense. Senior representatives of Meta India were called before the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights over allegations that advertisements on Instagram were linked to child sexual exploitation and abuse material. The optics were stark.
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‘Firewalls are necessary’: SC seeks Centre response on safeguards against child sexual content on online platforms
The Supreme Court on Thursday sought a response from the Central government and other authorities on a petition seeking stronger safeguards against Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse Material (CSEAM) reaching minors through digital and social media platforms, Bar and Bench reported.
A Bench comprising Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana highlighted the need for stronger digital protections for children. During the hearing, the Bench observed that “firewalls are very necessary for children” given the extent of children’s exposure to online platforms.
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Meta’s intermediary shield could weaken if ad systems approved or monetised alleged CSAM
The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights’ (NCPCR) inquiry into alleged child sexual abuse material (CSAM) advertisements on Meta’s platforms could become the starting point for a criminal investigation if the child rights body finds prima facie violations, according to legal experts.
Unlike areas such as addictive design, algorithmic harms or broader child-safety standards, where policy frameworks are still evolving, CSAM is already squarely within the ambit of prohibited content. The eventual consequences, however, would depend on what NCPCR establishes through its inquiry and whether the government or law-enforcement agencies decide to pursue further action.
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Radio players expect 10-15% festive growth as retail, auto, jewellery drive ad spends
Radio is heading into the 2026 festive season with advertisers stepping up spends across consumption-led categories, with industry players expecting festive-period AdEx growth in the 10-15% range even as the medium enters the season from a relatively subdued base.
The outlook is being driven by retail, automobiles, jewellery, consumer durables, mobile devices and BFSI, while real estate remains one of radio’s largest categories overall. Radio companies are also seeing advertisers move beyond conventional spot buys towards campaigns combining on-air, digital, influencer and on-ground activity.
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Drama gets real: Why micro-reality is the next microdrama bet
India’s microdrama industry is entering a new phase.
The first phase was about proving that consumers would watch stories designed for vertical screens and delivered in bite-sized episodes. That debate is largely over.
The bigger question now is whether microdrama can become a sustainable entertainment business as brands, creators, AI tools and reality-show formats enter the market, all competing for the same scarce resource: attention.
Experiments involving ShareChat, Eloelo, Meesho, Tinder and other digital-first players suggest the category is moving from a format experiment to a broader entertainment ecosystem.
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First Published on September 10, 2026, 17:21:21 IST
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