Govt Orders Meta To Remove Insta Child Sexual Abuse Ads: What Happened And Why It Matters

The Centre has issued a notice to Meta after reports of Instagram displaying paid advertisements, promoting child sexual exploitation and abuse material (CSEAM) to users in India, PTI reported citing sources.

"MeitY has ordered Instagram to disable all ads and content promoting and facilitating access to CSEAM," the sources said.

The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) directed Meta to immediately disable all advertisements and content promoting or facilitating access to such material and sought a detailed explanation within seven days.

What Did The BBC Investigation Find?

The controversy stems from an investigation by BBC Eye, which examined how Instagram's recommendation and advertising systems functioned in India.

According to the BBC, journalists created a new Instagram account that did not actively search for explicit material. After following a small number of accounts posting suggestive but legal content, the platform allegedly began recommending increasingly sexualised material. The recommendations reportedly progressed from adult content advertisements to advertisements allegedly promoting child sexual abuse material.

The investigation identified around 30 advertisements that allegedly promoted CSAM. Some reportedly contained phrases such as "rape video" and "child video" and directed users to Telegram channels where illegal videos were allegedly available for purchase for as little as ₹99.

The BBC also reported that one advertisement it flagged initially remained online. According to the report, Instagram informed the broadcaster around 24 hours later that the advertisement did not violate its community standards, raising questions about the effectiveness of Meta's moderation process.

The investigation further found Telegram channels allegedly selling child sexual abuse material. While one reported channel was later removed, another reportedly remained active, highlighting how such networks can operate across multiple digital platforms.

Why Has The Government Intervened?

The BBC report prompted immediate action from the Indian government.

According to PTI sources, MeitY has directed Instagram to remove all advertisements and content promoting or facilitating access to child sexual exploitation and abuse material. The ministry has also sought an explanation from Meta within seven days regarding how such advertisements were approved and displayed.

Earlier, Electronics and Information Technology Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw had directed officials to summon Meta representatives following the BBC's findings.

The government's intervention reflects India's broader efforts to strengthen oversight of digital intermediaries. In recent years, authorities have tightened rules governing intermediary due diligence, online safety and content moderation. The latest notice indicates that regulators are increasingly examining platform-operated commercial systems, including advertising tools, in addition to user-generated content.

The case also comes as governments worldwide seek greater accountability from technology companies over the spread of illegal online content, particularly child exploitation material.

How Does Instagram Review Advertisements?

Unlike ordinary user posts, advertisements on Instagram undergo a review process before being published.

According to Meta, the review primarily relies on artificial intelligence systems that examine an advertisement's images, videos, text, audio, targeting information and destination links to determine whether it complies with the company's advertising policies.

If automated systems cannot confidently decide whether content violates the rules, advertisements may be escalated for human review before approval.

Meta's advertising policies prohibit advertisements containing adult nudity, sexual exploitation or any content involving children.

However, the BBC investigation suggests that multiple advertisements allegedly promoting child sexual abuse material passed through the company's review system.

The issue has attracted greater attention because Meta announced earlier this year that it would rely more heavily on artificial intelligence for content moderation while reducing its dependence on third-party human reviewers. Although the company says advertisements continue to be monitored after publication, critics argue the incident exposes the limitations of automated moderation when bad actors deliberately attempt to evade detection.

Advertising is central to Meta's business, accounting for nearly 98 per cent of the company's revenue during the financial year ending 2025, according to its financial disclosures.

What Has Meta Said?

Meta has denied knowingly allowing advertisements promoting child sexual abuse material on its platform.

Following the BBC's queries, the company said it had removed the advertisements identified in the investigation, suspended the accounts responsible and blocked additional URLs found to violate its policies.

Meta acknowledged that "no system is perfect" and said some policy violations may not be detected before advertisements are published. It added that its proactive detection systems continue scanning advertisements after they go live and encouraged users to report content that violates platform rules.

The company also said it reports suspected child exploitation cases to the US-based National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), which coordinates reports of online child sexual abuse material. According to Meta, it automatically disabled more than four million accounts showing potentially suspicious behaviour during 2025.

Rejecting allegations that commercial interests outweighed user safety, Meta described claims that it deliberately targeted users with such advertisements as "categorically inaccurate." It said dedicated teams continue developing technologies to detect predators, block links to offending websites and share intelligence with other technology companies.

Can Platforms Be Held Legally Responsible?

The controversy has renewed debate over intermediary liability under India's Information Technology Act.

Online platforms generally receive "safe harbour" protection for third-party content if they comply with statutory due diligence obligations. Traditionally, this protection has been available because platforms are regarded as intermediaries rather than publishers of user-generated content.

However, legal experts argue the position becomes more complex when a platform's own systems actively review, approve, recommend or monetise content through commercial services such as advertising.

Former Supreme Court judge Madan Lokur told the BBC that the allegations were serious enough to warrant judicial intervention and suggested the Supreme Court could consider taking up the matter suo motu.

The controversy has also fuelled concerns over algorithmic accountability. Former Facebook executive Brian Boland told the BBC that recommendation systems designed to maximise engagement and advertising revenue can unintentionally amplify increasingly harmful content unless they are supported by strong human oversight.

As regulators across the world examine AI-driven moderation systems more closely, the outcome of the case could influence future expectations around platform accountability, particularly where automated advertising and recommendation systems are alleged to facilitate illegal content.