India Orders Meta to Remove Instagram Ads Linked to Child Sexual Abuse Material
NEW DELHI – The Indian government has directed Meta to immediately remove advertisements and content on Instagram that promote or facilitate child sexual abuse material, following concerns over the presence of such content on the platform.
A senior official from India’s Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology said the government has also demanded that Meta provide a detailed explanation within seven days on how advertisements containing such material were allowed to appear.
The directive follows a recent investigation by BBC Eye, which reported that Instagram had displayed paid advertisements promoting child sexual abuse material in India. According to the report, some of the advertisements directed users to Telegram channels where the illegal content was allegedly being sold.
The government official described the notice as a firm response to the issue, stating that Instagram had been instructed to disable all advertisements and content that promote or facilitate access to child sexual abuse material.
Meta said it maintains a zero-tolerance policy toward child sexual exploitation and abuse content across its platforms.
In a statement, the company said it uses advanced artificial intelligence systems to proactively identify and remove violating content, while acknowledging that it continues to face efforts by criminals attempting to evade detection across its billions of users.
The company did not confirm whether the government notice was issued directly in response to the BBC investigation.
Telegram, whose messaging platform was referenced in the investigation, said it has intensified its enforcement efforts against child exploitation. The company disclosed that it had removed more than 274,000 groups and channels linked to child sexual abuse material during 2026.
According to the BBC investigation, researchers created a new Instagram account in India and found that the platform began recommending sexually explicit content after following a small number of suggestive profiles.
Within days, the account reportedly received paid advertisements containing adult pornography and later advertisements promoting child sexual abuse material, some of which included links to Telegram channels.
Responding to the investigation, Meta described child exploitation as a serious crime and said it continues to invest in technologies and safety measures aimed at preventing such abuse on its platforms.
The company also rejected suggestions that it knowingly targeted users with advertisements promoting child sexual abuse material or prioritised advertising revenue over user safety.
