India Summons Meta Officials Over Instagram Ads Promoting Child Sexual Abuse
The Indian government is escalating pressure on Meta after a BBC investigation showed the platform's ad system served child sexual abuse material and that Meta's initial review found no violation.
Reporting from 1 source: GIGAZINE.
An investigation by the BBC found that Instagram ads served in India contained child sexual abuse material, using terms like 'rape videos' and 'child videos' and linking to Telegram channels. Meta initially responded that the ads did not violate community standards, but later disabled them. India's Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology now plans to summon Meta executives for an explanation.
A BBC investigation created a test Instagram account in India that followed 10 female accounts posting lifestyle content in provocative clothing. Within a week the account began showing adult-sensitive ads, and a few days later ads suggesting sexual situations involving adults and children appeared. The ads used terms like 'rape videos' and 'child videos' and directed users to Telegram channels, where some content was offered for 99 rupees.
When the BBC reported the ads to Meta, the ad review team said the content did not violate community standards. Only after the BBC directly asked Meta for comment did the company disable several ads and suspend the accounts that posted them. Meta stated it 'does not tolerate' such content.
Following the BBC's report, local media cited government sources saying India's Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology plans to summon Meta executives. Federal IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw instructed ministry officials to demand an explanation of how the ads were allowed. The move comes days after the ministry asked Meta to suspend a new WhatsApp feature allowing username-based search, citing fraud risks.
Synthesized by Yomimono from the 1 cited source below, including Japanese-language reporting where cited, then editorially reviewed before publishing.