The Centre has summoned Meta after reports alleged that advertisements promoting child sexual abuse material appeared on Instagram, raising serious concerns over the platform’s content moderation and advertising systems.
The action follows directions from Union IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, who sought an immediate explanation from the company after reports highlighted the presence of disturbing advertisements. Officials have asked Meta to clarify how such content was allowed to appear on one of the country’s most widely used social media platforms and what steps are being taken to prevent similar incidents.
The government is expected to seek details on Instagram’s ad review process, safeguards for minors and the mechanisms used to detect and block illegal or harmful content before it reaches users. Authorities are also likely to examine whether existing compliance measures under India’s digital regulations were followed.
The incident has once again put the spotlight on the responsibility of major technology companies to monitor content and ensure that their platforms are not misused for criminal activities. Child safety advocates have long argued that social media firms must strengthen automated detection systems while improving human oversight to quickly identify and remove exploitative material.
Meta has previously stated that it maintains strict policies against child sexual exploitation and works with law enforcement agencies and child protection organisations to detect, report and remove such content. The company uses artificial intelligence, automated tools and human reviewers to identify policy violations and take action against offending accounts.
The latest controversy has renewed calls for stronger moderation and greater accountability from digital platforms, particularly as online advertising systems become increasingly automated. Experts believe companies must continuously improve their safeguards to prevent harmful material from slipping through moderation processes.
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