The Centre has issued a stern notice to Meta over allegations that paid advertisements on Instagram promoted Child Sexual Exploitative and Abuse Material (CSEAM), directing the platform to immediately disable such advertisements and content while seeking a detailed explanation within seven days.
Government sources said the notice was issued by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) on Saturday evening, a day after Union Electronics and Information Technology Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw directed officials to summon Meta over the allegations.
According to the sources, MeitY has ordered Instagram to remove all advertisements and content promoting or facilitating access to CSEAM and has sought details of the action taken by the company following the allegations.
The action follows a recent investigation that alleged Meta's recommendation algorithm had promoted videos containing child sexual abuse material and that paid advertisements carrying search terms linked to such content appeared on Facebook and Instagram despite the company's policies prohibiting nudity and sexually explicit material.
The report alleged that some paid advertisements containing terms such as "rape video" and "child video" redirected users to Telegram channels where such content was reportedly being sold.
Government sources said authorities would seek answers from Meta on how such advertisements were approved, what corrective measures have been taken since the allegations surfaced, and what safeguards would be implemented to prevent similar incidents.
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The sources also stressed that Meta could not rely on the defence of hosting third-party content if the allegations related to paid advertisements carried on its platforms.
"If the allegations are found to be true, they will be held accountable for the advertisements, for which the platform receives revenue," a government source said.
Officials said the government maintains a zero-tolerance approach towards child sexual exploitation and abuse material and requires online platforms to promptly detect, remove and report such content while strengthening safeguards for children online.
The latest notice marks the second regulatory action against Meta this week. Earlier, the Centre questioned the company's proposed username feature on WhatsApp, expressing concerns that it could facilitate phishing, impersonation, online fraud and so-called "digital arrest" scams. The government asked Meta to pause the rollout until consultations are completed.
According to government sources, Meta has since met MeitY officials and is expected to submit its response within the stipulated timeframe. The Centre has also reminded the company that, as a significant social media intermediary, it is required to comply with due diligence obligations under the Information Technology Act and related rules.
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