Ashwini Vaishnaw directs MeitY to summon Meta regarding Instagram ads promoting child sexual abuse material

Union IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has directed senior officials at the ministry of electronics and information technology (MeitY) to summon representatives of Meta, following reports that Instagram carried advertisements linked to child sexual abuse material (CSAM) in India, sources said.

CSAM refers to any visual depiction or representation of a minor/s engaged in explicit sexual conduct. This classification covers photographs, videos, audio, and written descriptions, among others.

The move comes as the government steps up scrutiny of social media platforms over their content moderation practices and compliance with the Information Technology (IT) Rules, which require platforms to prevent the circulation of child exploitation material.


According to a report by ANI, Instagram hosted paid advertisements containing objectionable terms such as "rape video" and "child video". The ads allegedly directed users to other social media platforms where such content could be purchased.

ANI also noted that section 67B of the Information Technology Act makes it a punishable offence to publish or transmit electronic material depicting children in sexually explicit acts.

Responding to the report, Meta said it had disabled several advertisements and suspended the accounts responsible for posting them, ANI reported.

This is the second time this week that the Centre has acted against Meta.

On Wednesday, the government issued a notice to the company over WhatsApp's proposed username feature, saying it could increase the risk of online fraud, phishing, digital arrest scams, and impersonation.

The Centre has asked WhatsApp to pause the rollout of the feature until consultations with the government are completed.

According to ANI, Meta representatives met MeitY officials on Friday following the notice. During the meeting, ministry officials outlined the government's concerns over the proposed feature. Meta has been asked to submit a detailed explanation within three days and is expected to respond within the prescribed timeline.