Centre orders Meta to remove child sex abuse ads from Instagram; tech giant claims zero tolerance for such content

The Centre has issued a stern notice to Meta over the alleged presence of Child Sexual Exploitative and Abuse Material (CSEAM) in paid advertisements on Instagram, directing the company to immediately disable all advertisements and content that promote or facilitate access to such material and submit a detailed explanation within seven days, according to government sources.

The notice, issued by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) on Saturday evening, marks one of the strongest actions taken by the government against the social media giant over child safety concerns. Sources told Fortune India that the ministry has instructed Instagram to ensure that all such content and advertisements are taken down without delay while explaining how they were allowed to appear on the platform.

“Government issues stern notice to Meta on Child Sexual Exploitative & Abuse Material (CSEAM) in paid ads on Instagram. MeitY orders Instagram to disable all ads & content promoting and facilitating access to CSEAM. Government has demanded a detailed explanation within 7 days,” according to sources. 

The action follows directions issued by Union Minister for Electronics and Information Technology Ashwini Vaishnaw last week after reports emerged that Instagram was allegedly carrying advertisements promoting child sexual abuse material in India. The minister had instructed MeitY officials to summon Meta and seek an explanation from the company over the issue, according to sources familiar with the matter who told Fortune India.

The development comes at a time when technology companies are facing growing scrutiny globally over their ability to detect and prevent child exploitation content from spreading on their platforms.

In India, intermediaries such as social media platforms are required to comply with due diligence obligations under the Information Technology Act and the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021. The framework requires platforms to act promptly against unlawful content in accordance with applicable legal provisions.

Meta reiterates zero tolerance policy

Responding to Fortune India's queries, a Meta spokesperson said the company has a "zero tolerance policy" towards child sexual abuse material, including in advertisements.

"Meta has a zero tolerance policy for soliciting or sharing CSAM, including in ads. We use advanced AI technology to proactively detect violating content and individuals, but we are in a constant battle with criminals who hide among our 3.5 billion users and try to evade our detection," the spokesperson said.

The spokesperson added that Meta's expert teams are "constantly working to improve our defenses, develop new technology to root out predators, block links to violating websites, and share intelligence with other companies so they can take action too."

The latest notice also comes days after the Centre questioned another Meta platform over a separate issue. Last week, the government served a notice to WhatsApp regarding its proposed username feature, citing concerns that the rollout could increase online fraud, phishing, impersonation and so called digital arrest scams. The government directed WhatsApp to pause the rollout until consultations with the Centre were completed to its satisfaction.

The back to back interventions indicate heightened regulatory scrutiny of Meta's platforms as the government steps up oversight of online safety, consumer protection and compliance with India's digital regulations.