India has called out Meta over content depicting child sexual abuse on Instagram
The Indian government has ordered Meta to urgently explain the situation regarding the spread of content on Instagram related to child sexual abuse material.
In addition, the country’s authorities have ordered the immediate removal of ads and posts that promote or facilitate access to such content. This was reported by a senior official from India’s Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology in a statement to the BBC.
According to him, Indian authorities are also demanding that the company provide a detailed explanation within seven days as to how such ads could have passed moderation and appeared on the platform.
“The government issued a stern warning to Meta over material depicting child sexual exploitation and abuse that appeared in paid ads on Instagram,” the official said.
He added that the federal ministry “has ordered Instagram to disable all ads and content that promote or facilitate access” to such material.
It should be noted that the Indian government’s decision came after a BBC Eye investigation. Journalists found that Instagram was displaying paid ads in India that promoted material depicting child sexual abuse. Some of these ads directed users to Telegram channels where such material was offered for a fee.
The BBC created a new test Instagram account in India after noticing that the platform was promoting sexualized content even without corresponding search queries from the user. After following 10 such profiles, within less than a week the account began seeing paid ads with adult pornographic content, and later, ads related to child sexual abuse material.
In response to an inquiry regarding the government’s statement, Meta said the company has “zero tolerance” for the solicitation or distribution of child sexual abuse material, particularly in advertising.
“We use cutting-edge artificial intelligence technologies to proactively detect content and individuals who violate our policies, but we are in a constant battle against criminals who hide among our 3.5 billion users and try to circumvent our detection systems,” a Meta spokesperson said.
In response to the BBC’s investigation, the company also called the exploitation of children a “horrific crime” and stated that it is actively combating it on its platforms.
At the same time, Meta rejected the suggestion that it knowingly and intentionally showed ads featuring children to users with an inappropriate interest in such content. The company also denied that it prioritizes revenue over safety. Telegram, for its part, stated that in 2026 it removed more than 274,000 groups and channels linked to child sexual abuse material.
