The Indian government has directed Meta to immediately remove Instagram advertisements and content promoting or facilitating child sexual abuse material (CSAM), following an investigation that uncovered such content being promoted on the platform.
According to a senior official in India’s Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, the government has issued a formal notice ordering Meta to disable all advertisements and related content that provide access to child sexual abuse material. Authorities have also given the company seven days to explain how such paid advertisements were allowed to appear on Instagram.
The action follows a BBC Eye investigation, which found that Instagram displayed paid advertisements linking users to Telegram channels where child sexual abuse material was allegedly being offered for sale.
Meta said it has a zero-tolerance policy toward child sexual exploitation and abuse, including in advertisements, and stated that it uses advanced artificial intelligence to detect and remove violating content. The company said it continues to strengthen its systems while combating criminals who attempt to evade detection across its platforms.
Telegram said it has removed more than 274,000 groups and channels related to child sexual abuse material in 2026.
While neither the Indian government nor Meta confirmed that the enforcement action was a direct response to the BBC investigation, the notice was issued days after the report was published.
The case has renewed scrutiny of how major social media platforms detect and prevent the distribution of illegal child exploitation content, particularly when such material appears through paid advertising
