Indian Government to Summon Meta Over Child Exploitation Ads on Instagram

The Indian government is taking action against Meta after allegations surfaced regarding Instagram ads promoting child sexual abuse material. Following a BBC investigation that revealed disturbing content linked to child exploitation, officials from the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology are set to summon Meta for clarification. The investigation found that paid ads featuring alarming terms directed users to Telegram channels where illegal content was allegedly sold. Meta has responded by removing several ads and suspending accounts, but acknowledges the challenges in monitoring all content effectively. This situation raises significant concerns about child safety on social media platforms.

By Narendra Chaudhary Jul 3, 2026, 18:44 IST

Government Action Against Meta

Following allegations that Instagram displayed advertisements promoting child sexual abuse material (CSAM), the Indian government plans to summon officials from Meta. Sources indicate that Ashwini Vaishnaw, the Union Minister for Electronics and Information Technology, has instructed the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) to seek clarification from Meta regarding these claims. This action comes in response to a BBC investigation revealing that paid ads featuring terms like "rape videos" and "child videos" were being shown on Instagram. These ads directed users to Telegram channels where such illegal content was allegedly sold.

Details of the Investigation

The BBC's investigation highlighted that Instagram was running paid advertisements containing phrases such as "rape videos" and "child videos." These ads led users to Telegram channels where material related to child sexual exploitation could be purchased for as little as 99 rupees. The report also noted that ads on Instagram are published only after passing the platform's moderation process. The investigation revealed disturbing content, including an ad featuring a boy and a girl, both appearing around 12 years old, engaged in sexual activity. Another ad depicted a 52-year-old man and a 12-year-old girl, prompting users to click for more videos on Telegram. Additionally, one ad showed a crying young girl with a caption indicating she had been sexually assaulted. However, Instagram reportedly responded within 24 hours, stating that the ad did not violate its community standards.

Meta's Response to the Allegations

In response to inquiries from the BBC, Meta stated that it had already removed several advertisements and suspended the accounts responsible for posting them. The company mentioned that after reviewing the information provided by the BBC, it took further action by removing additional ads and blocking URLs associated with content that violated its policies. Meta acknowledged that "no system is perfect" and admitted that its review process might not catch every policy violation. It also emphasized that it continues to use proactive detection technology and allows users to report content that breaches its rules.