India orders Meta to disable Instagram ads promoting child sexual abuse material

The Indian government has directed Meta to immediately disable advertisements and content on Instagram that promote or facilitate child sexual abuse material, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology said on a recent notice issued to the company.

The notice, a senior ministry official told the BBC, also requested a detailed explanation within seven days about how paid advertisements containing such material were allowed on the platform.

The instruction followed findings from a BBC Eye investigation that reported Instagram ran paid adverts in India promoting child sexual abuse material and linking some users to Telegram channels where such content was offered for sale.

According to the ministry official, the government ordered Instagram to disable all ads and content that promote or facilitate access to child sexual exploitative and abuse material, and asked Meta for a formal response within one week.

Meta responded by reiterating its zero-tolerance policy for soliciting or sharing child sexual abuse material, saying it uses advanced AI technology to proactively detect violating content and accounts.

The company added that it continually strengthens its detection systems but acknowledged criminals try to evade safeguards among its billions of users.

The BBC investigation described how reporters created an alias Instagram account in India, followed suggestive profiles, and within days were shown paid adverts featuring adult pornography and later adverts promoting child sexual abuse material.

The government notice was issued days after the BBC film was published; neither the ministry nor Meta confirmed whether the notice was specifically in response to that investigation.

The ministry has sought a detailed explanation from Meta within seven days, and has ordered Instagram to disable the offending ads and content while the company addresses the government’s queries.