Government Orders Meta To Remove Instagram Ads Linked To Child Sexual Abuse Content, Seeks Reply In 7 Days

The Centre has asked Meta to take steps to remove the content on Instagram that it alleges is associated with child sexual exploitation and abuse material (CSEAM) immediately following concerns regarding paid advertising on Instagram. The government has also asked the company for a detailed explanation within seven days, with a warning of legal action under the Information technology Act and Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012 on the failure to do so.

Government Demands Immediate Removal Of Alleged CSEAM Content

The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) sent a notice to Facebook and Instagram's owner Meta ordering it to take down all content that enables access to child sexual exploitation and abuse material, sources said.

The government also requested information regarding the measures taken by Meta to address such content, and also asked for immediate corrective measures of the alleged "algorithmic amplification of CSEAM". Police has requested the business to clarify how such material came into existence and what measures will be put in place to prevent more from happening.

BBC Report Triggered Government Action

Meta has been criticized for its recommendation algorithm following an investigation by the BBC which claimed that it was pushing child sexual abuse videos.

The report added that Facebook and Instagram had ads for the search terms "rape video" and "child video". The investigation found that the ads led to Telegram channels where illegal content was reportedly being sold, in violation of Meta's Ads policies, which prohibit nudity and sexually explicit content.

Meta May Face Legal Consequences If Allegations Are Proven

The government has stated explicitly that Meta will not be able to use the intermediary protections if paid ads contain child sexual abuse content, the sources said.

If the claims are substantiated, they will be liable for the ads, which bring in revenues for the platform, the source said.

In absence of the same, it has been cautioned that action may be taken under Information Technology Act and POCSO Act within seven days, officials have said.

Meta Says It Has Zero Tolerance For CSAM

In response to queries from the BBC, a Meta spokesperson stated that the company has policies in place to stop the distribution of child sexual abuse material, and is actively working towards detecting and removing such content.

"We use advanced AI technology to proactively detect violating content and individuals, but we are in a constant battle with criminals who hide among our 3.5 billion users and try to evade our detection."

"That is why our expert teams are constantly working to improve our defences, develop new technology to root out predators, block links to violating websites, and share intelligence with other companies so they can take action too," the Meta spokesperson said.

The Information Technology Act, under Indian law, provides for stringent punishment for the uploading or sending of sexually explicit material of children. Online child sexual abuse material is covered by section 67B of IT Act.