New Delhi: The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) is examining Meta’s response to a notice issued over advertisements and content allegedly promoting or facilitating child sexual exploitation and abuse material (CSEAM) on Instagram, following concerns raised by a recent BBC Eye investigation.
According to reports, the ministry has received the company’s explanation and is currently evaluating the submission before deciding on any further course of action. A government official quoted by Hindustan Times said, “We have received Meta’s response and are reviewing it.”
The notice was issued on July 4 after Union Minister for Electronics and Information Technology Ashwini Vaishnaw directed the ministry to seek an explanation from the company. Meta was asked to immediately remove the alleged content and clarify within seven days how such advertisements had appeared on Instagram. The response deadline was July 11.
The controversy arose after a BBC Eye investigation reported discovering Instagram advertisements containing terms associated with child sexual abuse material that allegedly redirected users to Telegram channels offering illegal content.
Following the report, Meta removed a number of advertisements, disabled several accounts and blocked URLs found to be in violation of its platform policies. The company also stated that some of the offending advertisements and accounts had already been detected and actioned by its automated enforcement systems before the BBC shared its findings.
Earlier, on July 7, Meta published a blog post denying suggestions that it had knowingly permitted advertisements containing child sexual abuse material to be displayed on Instagram. The company said it does not intentionally serve such content and highlighted the technology-driven systems it employs to detect and prevent child exploitation.
According to Meta, it removed more than four million suspicious accounts globally last year and took down approximately 36 million pieces of child exploitation-related content across Facebook and Instagram. The company also said its artificial intelligence-based safety systems had removed around 160,000 accounts in India over the past six months for suspected violations related to child safety.
Meta acknowledged, however, that no enforcement system is infallible, noting that individuals attempting to exploit online platforms continuously evolve their tactics to evade detection. The company said it continues to strengthen its detection capabilities to address emerging threats.
Government officials had earlier indicated that Meta’s public blog post did not constitute the formal explanation sought by the ministry and that a detailed response was still required within the stipulated deadline.
With the ministry now reviewing the company’s formal submission, the matter remains under examination as authorities consider whether any additional regulatory or enforcement measures are warranted.
