For a company that generated $164.5 billion in revenue in FY2025, almost entirely from advertising, the integrity of its ad review system is central to its business.
That system is now under scrutiny in India after the government decided to summon Meta officials over allegations that Instagram approved paid advertisements promoting child sexual abuse material (CSAM).
While the number of ads identified was relatively small, the case raises far larger questions about platform accountability, automated moderation and the responsibilities of digital advertising giants.
When Ads Become Liability
The controversy follows a BBC Eye investigation that examined Instagram’s advertising and recommendation systems using a test account created in India.
According to the investigation, the account encountered around 30 unique advertisements promoting child sexual abuse material and roughly 20 adult pornography advertisements after interacting with sexually suggestive content. Several advertisements allegedly redirected users to Telegram channels where illegal material was offered for prices starting at ₹99.
Unlike user-generated posts, paid advertisements pass through an approval process before publication. That distinction makes the findings particularly significant because they raise questions not only about content moderation but also about the effectiveness of Meta’s advertising review systems.
India’s Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has since decided to summon Meta officials to explain how such advertisements were approved.
Advertising Trust At Stake
The regulatory scrutiny comes at a sensitive point for Meta’s business. According to its FY2025 Annual Report, 98% of the company’s $164.5 billion revenue came from advertising, making advertiser confidence one of its most valuable assets.
Meta also reported an average of 3.48 billion Family Daily Active People across Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp and Messenger during December 2025. Reviewing advertisements at that scale inevitably depends on artificial intelligence supported by human reviewers.
The BBC investigation suggests that automated systems may still leave room for sophisticated actors to exploit advertising tools. According to the report, one advertisement was initially reviewed and reportedly found not to violate platform policies before being removed later.
While the volume of problematic advertisements represents a tiny fraction of Meta’s overall ad ecosystem, the nature of the alleged content substantially raises legal, reputational and commercial risks.
India Signals Tougher Oversight
The case also reflects India’s increasingly assertive approach towards regulating digital intermediaries.
Under the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021, online platforms are required to exercise due diligence and act upon unlawful content when notified through prescribed legal mechanisms.
Although the rules primarily govern intermediary responsibilities, regulators are increasingly examining whether platforms have adequate systems to prevent illegal content from being promoted through paid advertising.
Meta responded by removing the advertisements identified by BBC, disabling advertiser accounts, blocking associated URLs and stating that “no system is perfect.” The company said it continues to invest in proactive detection technologies and reports apparent child exploitation cases to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) where required.
Former Supreme Court judge Madan Lokur also told the BBC that the findings could warrant judicial attention, arguing that intermediary protections should not become a shield where illegal activity passes through platform systems.
Global Pressure Is Rising
India is not alone in demanding greater accountability from technology platforms. Regulators in the European Union, the United Kingdom and Australia have intensified scrutiny of how major digital platforms detect illegal content, improve algorithmic transparency and protect children online.
The latest episode places India within a broader global shift where governments increasingly expect platforms to demonstrate preventive safeguards rather than merely remove harmful material after it appears.
For Meta, the immediate challenge extends beyond responding to government questions. It must reassure regulators, advertisers and users that its advertising systems can reliably distinguish legitimate commercial promotions from criminal exploitation.
As generative AI and automated advertising continue to expand, the effectiveness of platform governance will increasingly be measured not by how quickly harmful advertisements disappear, but by whether they reach users at all. That standard is becoming the new benchmark for digital trust, and one that regulators appear increasingly willing to enforce.
The Logical Indian’s Perspective
The allegations highlighted by the BBC investigation raise serious concerns about the effectiveness of content moderation on large digital platforms. As online advertising becomes increasingly automated, companies must ensure that their review systems can prevent harmful and illegal content from slipping through.
At the same time, regulatory scrutiny should remain evidence-based, transparent and consistent with due process. Protecting children online is a shared responsibility that requires stronger platform safeguards, swift enforcement and continued collaboration between governments, technology companies and civil society.
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