The Central Government has directed Meta to immediately remove all Instagram advertisements and content that promote or facilitate access to Child Sexual Exploitative and Abuse Material (CSEAM), following a BBC Eye investigation that uncovered paid advertisements carrying such content in India.
The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has issued a stern notice to the company, seeking a detailed explanation within seven days on how the advertisements were approved, the safeguards currently in place, and the corrective measures being adopted. The action follows reports that Instagram’s advertising system allowed paid promotions linking users to child abuse material.
Meta has reiterated its “zero tolerance” policy towards child sexual abuse material, stating that it uses artificial intelligence and specialist teams to detect and remove such content while acknowledging the ongoing challenge of criminals attempting to evade its systems.
The government’s notice marks one of its strongest responses yet to concerns over online child safety and platform accountability.
Govt Demands Accountability From Meta
The notice, issued by MeitY on July 4, instructs Meta to disable all advertisements and content promoting or facilitating access to CSEAM on Instagram without delay. Officials have sought a comprehensive response explaining how such paid advertisements were allowed to appear, the company’s existing moderation policies for advertisements, and the additional safeguards it plans to introduce to prevent similar incidents.
Sources said the government is also examining whether Instagram complied with intermediary obligations under Indian law, with reports indicating that failure to cooperate could invite legal action under the Information Technology Act and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. Earlier, Union Electronics and Information Technology Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw had directed MeitY officials to summon Meta representatives after the issue came to light.
Responding to the notice, a Meta spokesperson said the company has “zero tolerance” for soliciting or sharing child sexual abuse material, including in advertisements. The spokesperson added that Meta deploys advanced AI systems, expert safety teams and cross-industry intelligence sharing to identify offenders, block links to violating websites and improve detection, while noting that criminals constantly attempt to bypass platform safeguards.
BBC Investigation Triggered Government Action
The government’s intervention followed a BBC Eye investigation that found Instagram had been carrying paid advertisements promoting or linking to child sexual abuse material in India. According to the investigation, several advertisements appeared to use explicit references involving minors and directed users to external platforms where exploitative content was allegedly available.
The BBC reported some advertisements to Meta, but found that not all were removed immediately, raising concerns about weaknesses in the company’s automated review systems. The investigation also questioned whether Instagram’s advertising tools and recommendation systems had enabled the wider distribution of such illegal content.
Meta told the BBC that it removed the advertisements flagged by journalists, denied knowingly allowing such promotions, and maintained that no content review system is perfect.
The company stressed that it continues investing in technology and specialist teams to combat child exploitation online while working with law enforcement and other technology firms to identify offenders. The revelations have intensified global scrutiny of how major technology companies monitor paid advertisements and protect children from online exploitation.
The Logical Indian’s Perspective
The discovery of paid advertisements linked to child sexual abuse material is deeply disturbing because it raises fundamental questions about whether technology platforms are doing enough to protect children from exploitation.
While artificial intelligence has strengthened content moderation, incidents like these demonstrate that automated systems alone cannot replace rigorous human oversight, transparent accountability and swift regulatory action. Governments, technology companies, child protection agencies and civil society all have a shared responsibility to ensure that digital spaces remain safe, particularly for children who are among the most vulnerable users online.
Strong enforcement, greater transparency in advertising review processes and continuous investment in child safety measures are essential to rebuilding public trust. Equally important is encouraging users to report harmful content promptly and supporting collaborative efforts that prioritise children’s rights over commercial interests.
As digital platforms become central to everyday life, how can governments, technology companies and citizens work together to ensure that protecting children online remains an uncompromising priority?
