Meta Responds to Govt Notice Over Instagram Child Abuse Ads, Rejects Targeting Allegations

Meta has responded to a stern Indian government notice over paid Instagram advertisements allegedly promoting child sexual abuse material, in a statement released on Tuesday.

The technology firm stated that its automated systems had already identified and disabled several violating advertisements and their associated accounts before the cases were publicly highlighted. It added that it took additional action after further investigation. Meta also termed child exploitation a "horrific crime".

"We're aware of recent news reports about Instagram ads in India that violated our policies against child exploitation. And we want to be clear: we take these concerns seriously, we never want this content on our platforms, and we're committed to improving our efforts to combat it," Meta stated.

Meta Rejects Deliberate Targeting

Meta addressed allegations regarding its advertising delivery algorithms. The firm stated it was "categorically inaccurate to suggest" that the platform would "knowingly and deliberately target ads featuring children to people based on an inappropriate interest in children".

The company relies on automated technology to identify accounts exhibiting suspicious activity related to minors. This automated enforcement resulted in the removal of four million accounts globally in 2025.

The firm also detailed its local enforcement actions. Advanced artificial intelligence detection tools targeting suspicious off-platform links led to the removal of 1,60,000 accounts in India over the last six months.

Government Demands Accountability

The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) issued a stern notice to Meta on Saturday (July 4, 2026). The notice gave the company seven days to explain the breach in detail.

The government's notice sought answers on how the advertisements were approved despite Meta's policies explicitly prohibiting nudity and sexually explicit content. It also asked what corrective measures the firm had taken and what future safeguards it plans to introduce.

A government official said paid advertisements on Instagram allegedly directed users to external platforms for unlawful child abuse material.

"The government views the 'algorithmic amplification' of sexually exploitative content with utmost seriousness, demands immediate corrective measures," the official said.