The Centre is now reviewing Meta’s response after allegations that Meta-owned Instagram carried paid advertisements promoting child sexual abuse material (CSAM) in India. The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) confirmed that the US-based tech giant has now submitted its reply to the government’s notice and officials are currently examining it before deciding the next course of action. The issue emerged after a BBC Eye investigation alleged that Instagram displayed advertisements directing users to channels selling illegal content. Here’s everything you need to know about the latest development.
Government Reviews Meta’s Reply
Speaking to Press on Monday, IT Secretary S. Krishnan confirmed that Meta’s response has been received and is under review.
“We’ve received a reply from Meta on the issue of Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM). The response was received on Saturday and is currently under examination. Appropriate action will be undertaken after due examination,” Krishnan said.
The development follows MeitY’s notice to Meta asking the company to immediately remove Instagram advertisements and other content that allegedly promoted or facilitated access to CSAM. The ministry also sought a detailed explanation from the company within seven days.
As per the BBC Eye investigation published on July 3, Instagram allegedly displayed paid advertisements in India containing explicit search terms that redirected users to Telegram channels where illegal material was reportedly being sold for as little as Rs 99. The report further claimed that some of these advertisements had passed Instagram’s automated moderation systems before appearing on the platform.
Meta’s Response And What Happens Next
In a statement shared with Times Now Digital, a Meta spokesperson said: “Meta has a zero-tolerance policy for soliciting or sharing CSAM, including in ads,” the spokesperson said. “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. That is why our expert teams are constantly working to improve our defences, 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 government has reportedly sought details about how the advertisements were approved, the safeguards currently in place, the platform’s moderation systems, and the corrective measures Meta plans to adopt to prevent similar incidents in the future.
According to BBC Eye, Meta removed several advertisements, suspended the accounts involved and blocked related URLs after the publication approached the company with its findings.
