Government cracks down on Meta over child abuse ads on Instagram
The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has issued a formal notice to Meta, the parent company of Instagram, over the appearance of child sexual abuse material in advertisements on the platform. The notice warns that failure to address the issue could lead to legal proceedings under the Information Technology Act, 2000, and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012.
According to sources in the ministry, the notice was sent on July 5, 2026, following multiple complaints and reports that explicit content involving minors was being promoted through Instagram's advertising system. The government has demanded a detailed explanation and a plan of action within seven days.
Legal implications and compliance demands
The notice explicitly states that Meta must immediately remove all such advertisements and ensure strict compliance with Indian laws. Under the IT Act, intermediaries are required to report any unlawful content to the government and take proactive measures to prevent its dissemination. The POCSO Act mandates stringent penalties for the creation, storage, or distribution of child sexual abuse material, including imprisonment and fines.
A senior official in MeitY said, "The government will not tolerate any platform that facilitates the spread of child abuse material. We expect Meta to cooperate fully and implement robust safeguards to prevent such incidents." The official added that if Meta fails to comply, the government may invoke Section 69A of the IT Act, which allows blocking of content or even the entire platform in extreme cases.
Background of the issue
This is not the first time Meta has faced scrutiny over child safety on its platforms. In 2023, a report by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children highlighted that Instagram was used to share thousands of images of child abuse. Since then, Meta has introduced several measures, including AI-based detection tools and stricter advertising policies, but critics argue that enforcement remains inadequate.
The latest controversy emerged when an investigation by a digital rights group found that multiple Instagram ads contained links to websites hosting explicit content involving minors. The group alerted the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre, which escalated the matter to MeitY.
Meta's response and next steps
Meta has acknowledged receipt of the notice and stated that it is reviewing the allegations. A company spokesperson said, "We have strict policies against child sexual exploitation and use advanced technology to detect and remove such content. We are committed to working with the Indian government to address their concerns."
The company has been given until July 12 to submit a compliance report. Failure to do so may result in the government filing a case in court, which could lead to significant fines or even a temporary ban on Instagram's operations in India.
The Ministry has also urged users to report any suspicious content directly through the Cyber Crime portal and assured that action will be taken against any platform that violates the law.
