Child abuse ads on Instagram: Govt to summon Meta

NEW DELHI: Government is set to summon Meta after reports alleged paid ads on Instagram promoted child sexual abuse material in India. IT minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has directed MeitY officials to seek a formal explanation from the company, sources said Friday.Officials said MeitY will ask Meta to explain how Instagram's review systems cleared such ads, if checks were done before they went live, and what action was taken after the matter was flagged. MeitY may seek details of the company's ad-screening mechanism and safeguards to prevent a repeat.AI used to detect abuse but crooks hide among our 3bn users: MetaA BBC investigation said Instagram showed paid promotions in India using explicit terms and links leading users to Telegram channels where child sexual abuse materials were allegedly being sold. The report said the ads appeared on an India-based account and promotions had passed Instagram's moderation systems. Meta said it had disabled multiple ads and accounts and blocked violating URLs, stressing it has a "zero tolerance policy for soliciting or sharing CSAM (child sex abuse material), including in ads".A Meta spokesperson told TOI the company uses "advanced AI technology to proactively detect violating content and individuals", but added that it remains "in a constant battle with criminals who hide among our 3.5 billion users and try to evade our detection".Under India's IT framework, intermediaries are required to act against harmful content, particularly material involving sexual exploitation of children. Govt sources said ads, unlike ordinary posts, are expected to pass through pre-publication review. "The platform will have to explain how paid content of this nature could appear despite its stated policies," a source said.The controversy comes amid the Centre's push to hold platforms accountable for online harms, including content targeting children, obscene material, deepfakes and cyber-enabled abuse. Meta said its teams are continuously working to improve its defences, develop new technology to identify predators, block links to violating websites and share intel with other companies to help curb child exploitation online.Get the latest India news and live updates. Download the TOI App.