Govt Summons Meta Over Child Abuse Ads on Instagram, Company Pledges 'Zero Tolerance'
The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has issued a notice to Meta, the parent company of Instagram and Facebook, over allegations that the platform ran paid advertisements linked to child sexual abuse material (CSAM). The government has given the company seven days to respond and warned of legal action under the Information Technology Act and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012, if it fails to comply.
In its notice, MeitY demanded that Instagram remove all content facilitating access to CSAM and address what it described as the 'algorithmic amplification' of such material. The government also sought details on how these advertisements were approved and what corrective measures Meta has taken since the allegations surfaced.
A Meta spokesperson told NDTV that the company has 'zero tolerance' for sharing or soliciting CSAM, including in ads. The spokesperson said Meta uses advanced artificial intelligence to proactively detect such content and flag users linked to criminal activity. 'We are in a constant battle with criminals who hide among our 3.5 billion users and try to evade our detection,' the spokesperson added, noting that expert teams are continuously working to improve defences and share intelligence with other companies.
The government's action follows a BBC report that alleged Meta's recommendation algorithm had been promoting videos containing CSAM, exposing serious gaps in safeguards. The investigation also claimed that paid advertisements with terms such as 'rape video' and 'child video' had appeared on Facebook and Instagram, directing users to Telegram channels where such content was reportedly sold.
Under Indian law, an intermediary like Meta cannot rely on the 'third-party content' defence if paid advertisements are involved. If the allegations are proven true, Meta could be held accountable for the advertisements, for which it receives revenue. The government has demanded a detailed response within a week, failing which legal proceedings could be initiated.
