Meta Summoned by MeitY Over Instagram Ads Allegedly Promoting Child S*xual Abuse Material
The Union Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) will summon Meta after reports alleged that paid Instagram advertisements promoted child sexual abuse material (CSAM) in India. Union IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has sought an explanation from Meta over the approval and display of the advertisements.
The Union Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) is set to summon social media giant Meta following reports that paid advertisements on Instagram have been promoting child sexual abuse material (CSAM) within India. Union IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has officially directed ministry officials to demand a formal explanation from Meta regarding the placement and approval of these advertisements. The directive comes amid growing regulatory scrutiny over the accountability of big tech platforms operating in the country.
MeitY Demands Meta Account for Instagram Ad Approvals
According to sources familiar with the matter, MeitY will seek a comprehensive explanation from Meta regarding its automated and manual ad-review systems. The decision to summon the tech firm was triggered by recent investigative findings revealing that paid advertisements on Instagram utilized highly explicit search terms to direct users to third-party messaging channels, such as Telegram, where illicit material was being monetized. India Asks Meta to Pause WhatsApp Username Rollout, Seeks Security Details in 3 Day.
Under Meta’s explicit corporate policies, promotional content that exploits or endangers minors is strictly prohibited. However, because paid advertisements must pass through safety filters and algorithmic moderation tools before going live, the appearance of these ads points to a critical lapse in the platform’s proactive screening protocols.
Indian IT Act Mandates Zero Tolerance on Harmful Content
India maintains a strict regulatory stance on digital content involving minors. Under the Information Technology (IT) Act, 2000, and the IT Rules, social media intermediaries are legally obligated to prevent the hosting, sharing, or promotion of sexually explicit material, particularly content that harms or exploits children.
The legal framework dictates that platforms must act swiftly to remove unlawful content once notified by law enforcement or judicial bodies. Failure to comply with these guidelines or demonstrating a consistent failure to police criminal advertisements puts a platform's "safe harbour" protection at risk. Safe harbour under Section 79 of the IT Act shields intermediaries from being held legally liable for user-generated or third-party content; losing it opens a company up to direct criminal prosecution. After WhatsApp, Govt Sends Notices to Telegram, Signal Over Username Features.
MeitY Summons Meta, Seeks Explanation Over Child Abuse Ads
Union Minister for Electronics and Information Technology Ashwini Vaishnaw directs Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) officials to summon Meta on the matter of Instagram ads promoting child sexual abuse material in India: Sources
MeitY to seek explanation… pic.twitter.com/VU2G9XSbuK
— ANI (@ANI) July 3, 2026
BBC Investigation Puts Meta Under Spotlight
Government Amplifies Focus on Online Safety for Children
The move to summon Meta aligns with broader legislative efforts by the Indian government to enforce strict age-based boundaries and robust digital safeguards. IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has frequently reiterated that online safety-especially protecting children from obscenity, deepfakes, and predatory behavior-requires decisive state intervention.
The government has also been exploring potential age-based restrictions for social media access, mirroring global legislative trends aimed at curbing the negative exposure of minors to unmoderated online spaces.
Meta has previously stated that it works aggressively to combat child exploitation across its applications, acknowledging that no automated system is perfect. However, MeitY's upcoming inquiry is expected to push for deeper transparency into how corporate ad-delivery networks are monitored and why paid promotional slots were bypassed by basic safety guardrails.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jul 03, 2026 05:50 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).
