The Centre has asked Meta to disable all content and advertisements allegedly promoting child sexual abuse
July 5, 2026: The Centre has issued a stern notice to Meta over allegations that paid advertisements on Instagram promoted Child Sexual Exploitative and Abuse Material (CSEAM). According to sources, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has directed the company to immediately disable all advertisements and content facilitating access to such material. The government has also sought a detailed explanation from Meta within seven days regarding how the content was approved and the safeguards it plans to introduce to prevent similar incidents.
The action follows reports that Union IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw instructed MeitY officials to summon Meta after a BBC investigation alleged that Instagram’s recommendation algorithm amplified child sexual abuse material. The report claimed that sponsored posts containing phrases such as “rape video” and “child video” redirected users to Telegram channels where illegal content was allegedly being sold, despite Meta’s policies prohibiting sexually explicit and abusive content.
Under Section 67B of the Information Technology Act, publishing, transmitting, storing, browsing or distributing child sexual abuse material is a criminal offence. The IT Rules also require social media intermediaries to act swiftly against such content or risk losing legal protections. The Centre reiterated its zero-tolerance policy towards CSAM, noting that platforms are expected to promptly remove illegal content and strengthen child safety measures. This is the second time this week that Meta has come under government scrutiny, following concerns over WhatsApp’s proposed username feature and its potential misuse for online fraud.