Overview
- A BBC investigation published on Friday documented about 30 paid Instagram ads in India that used terms such as “rape video” and “child video” and directed users to Telegram channels reportedly selling child sexual abuse material.
- The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology issued a formal notice on Saturday ordering Meta to immediately disable the alleged ads and content and to provide a detailed explanation within seven days.
- Government sources said officials may pursue prosecutions under Section 67B of the IT Act or the POCSO Act and could strip intermediary safe‑harbour protections if paid advertisements are found to have promoted illegal material for platform revenue.
- Meta said it removed the reported ads, suspended accounts and blocked offending URLs while stressing a zero‑tolerance policy and that it uses AI and specialist teams but that its ad‑review and detection systems can miss violations.
- Regulators flagged algorithmic amplification and links in paid ads that directed users to messaging apps as key distribution routes, and the notice follows separate government scrutiny this week of Meta’s WhatsApp username feature which points to tougher enforcement for platforms and advertisers.