The Indian government has officially issued a stern warning to Meta following revelations of paid advertisements on the Instagram platform promoting child sexual exploitation material. The illegal content reportedly directed users to dedicated channels on the Telegram app to transact in forbidden content.
India's Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology ordered Meta to immediately deactivate all ads and content facilitating such activities. Additionally, the government gave an ultimatum to the parent company of Facebook and Instagram to provide a detailed explanation within seven days regarding system loopholes that allowed such dangerous content to bypass moderation.
This decisive action follows an investigation by BBC Eye revealing that Instagram's algorithm automatically recommended sexually suggestive content to new users. In the test, newly created accounts began receiving pornographic ads and child exploitation material within days after following profiles with similar interests.
Responding to the pressure, a Meta spokesperson emphasized that the company enforces a zero-tolerance policy against all forms of child exploitation. Meta claimed to use advanced artificial intelligence (AI) technology to proactively detect violations, while acknowledging that perpetrators constantly seek to exploit loopholes among the platform's billions of users.
Furthermore, Meta dismissed accusations that the company intentionally targeted ads at individuals with deviant interests, or prioritized ad revenue over user safety. Although the Indian government did not specifically state that this action was a direct response to the investigative report, pressure from local authorities comes amid intense public scrutiny over the platform's safety.
