The Indian government has issued a stern notice to Meta, the parent company of Instagram, regarding the presence of Child Sexual Exploitative and Abuse Material (CSEAM) in paid advertisements on the platform. According to sources, the notice was issued on Saturday, July 4, evening, and demands that Instagram disable all ads and content promoting and facilitating access to CSEAM. The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology has also summoned Meta officials to provide a detailed explanation within seven days.
This move comes after a recent report by the BBC World Service exposed the proliferation of child sexual abuse material advertisements on Instagram. The report found that these ads, which use phrases such as ‘rape video’ and ‘child video,’ direct users to channels on the messaging app Telegram, where they can buy the material for as little as Rs 99. The Ministry’s action has been prompted by IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, who directed officials to summon Meta on the matter.
In response to the report, a Meta spokesperson stated that the company has a zero-tolerance policy for soliciting or sharing CSAM, including in ads, and uses advanced AI technology to proactively detect violating content. However, the spokesperson acknowledged that the company is in a constant battle with criminals who try to evade detection. The incident has raised concerns about the effectiveness of Instagram’s moderation technology, which is supposed to approve ads before they reach users.
In one instance, the platform took more than 24 hours to respond to a flagged ad, claiming that it did not violate community guidelines. Meta has since taken down several advertisements and suspended related accounts.
