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Govt to summon Meta over Instagram ads promoting child sexual abuse material: Sources
MeitY will seek an explanation from Meta regarding the issue and the steps taken to address it.
Union Minister for Electronics and Information Technology Ashwini Vaishnaw has directed officials in the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) officials to summon Meta over Instagram advertisements allegedly promoting child sexual abuse material (CSAM), sources said on Friday.
According to the sources, MeitY will seek an explanation from Meta on the issue and the steps the company has taken to address it.
This marks the second time this week that the Centre has cracked down on Meta.
Also Read | Meta to submit detailed explanation on WhatsApp usernames feature to govt within 3 days: Sources
BBC's Instagram investigation
A BBC investigation has found that Instagram carried paid advertisements promoting child sexual abuse material (CSAM) in India, with the ads directing users to Telegram channels where such content was allegedly sold for as little as ₹99.
The report said the ads used terms such as "rape video" and "child video".
Although Instagram ads are approved through Meta's moderation systems, the platform reportedly said one such ad did not violate its Community Guidelines after the BBC flagged it.
As part of its investigation, the BBC created an alias Instagram account in India and found that within days it was being shown explicit sexual content, followed by advertisements depicting children in sexually suggestive situations linked to Telegram channels.
Meta told the BBC that "no system is perfect" and that while its review process may miss some policy violations, it continues to proactively detect and remove rule-breaking ads after they go live.
Also Read | Centre issues notice to Meta over new WhatsApp feature, flags ‘fraud, phishing' concerns
Centre's crackdown on WhatsApp
On Wednesday, the government issued a notice to the company over WhatsApp's proposed username feature, warning that it could significantly increase the risk of online fraud, phishing, digital arrest scams and impersonation.
The Centre directed Meta to put the rollout of the feature on hold until consultations with the government are completed to its satisfaction.
The government also asked Meta to explain why action should not be initiated under the Information Technology Act and the relevant rules over the proposed feature, saying it could facilitate cybercrime.
It further reminded the company that WhatsApp, as a significant social media intermediary, is required to comply with due diligence obligations under the IT Act and its rules.
