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The Indian government is taking serious action against social media platforms for violating policies. The central government is planning to summon Meta. This time the action is taken after allegations that Instagram is showing advertisements which prommotes child sexual abuse material (CSAM) in India. This comes after a media investigation that has raised serious concern about the platform’s advertising moderation system and the spread of illegal content.
Government Seeks Explanation From Meta
According to government sources, Union Information Technology Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has directed the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) to call Meta officials for an explanation.
According to reports, the ministry is expecting questions over claims that this platform is showing advertisements that promote and redirect users to illegal child abuse material. The government is seeking an explanation from the social media company on how such advertisements were approved and displayed despite the platform’s moderation process.
What Did the Investigation Find?
The action comes after a BBC Eye investigation, which reported that Instagram displayed paid advertisements containing search terms such as “rape video” and “child video.”
According to the report, users who clicked these advertisements were redirected to Telegram channels where these child abuse materials were allegedly being sold for prices starting at just Rs 99.
The investigation also claimed that Instagram’s advertising system approved these paid promotions before they appeared on the platform. While sharing one example, the BBC reported that an advertisement features an image where a distressed young girl could be seen with text suggesting that the girl was sexually assaulted.
The report further stated that when the advertisement was flagged, Instagram responded after about 24 hours, saying it did not violate the platform’s community standards.
Meta Responds to the Allegations
However, after BBC raises question, the Met has stated that the company has disabled several advertisements and suspended the accounts responsible for posting them.
The company also removed additional advertisements, disabled more accounts and blocked URLs linked to content that violated its policies. Meta acknowledged that while its moderation systems are designed to detect harmful content, they are not perfect and may occasionally fail to identify every policy violation.
The company added that it continues to scan advertisements even after they are published and encourages users to report content that breaches its rules.
Second Government Action Against Meta This Week
This is the second time the government has intervened against Meta in the same week. Earlier, the Centre issued a notice over WhatsApp’s proposed username feature, expressing concerns that it could increase phishing attempts, impersonation, digital arrest scams and other forms of online fraud.
The government directed WhatsApp to pause the rollout until consultations are completed. It also asked Meta to explain why action should not be considered under the Information Technology Act and related rules. Officials reminded the company that WhatsApp, as a significant social media intermediary, must continue meeting its due diligence obligations under India’s IT regulations.
The latest developments underline the government’s growing scrutiny of major technology platforms and their responsibility to prevent the spread of harmful or illegal content while ensuring user safety online.
Sudeep Singh Rawat is a Copy Editor at NewsX Digital with over five years of experience in digital journalism. He covers national and international news, with a focus on politics, crime, technology, public affairs, and trending topics. Before joining NewsX Digital, he worked with Business Standard, The Sunday Guardian, and other digital media organisations. His reporting focuses on breaking news, enterprise stories, and explainers that inform readers through accurate, balanced, and context-driven journalism.
