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The Centre has directed Meta to explain allegations that advertisements promoting child sexual abuse material (CSAM) appeared on Instagram, with the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) set to summon the social media giant over the issue.

Union IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has instructed ministry officials to seek an explanation from Meta and details of the action taken after a BBC investigation alleged that Instagram's advertising system promoted content linked to child sexual abuse material, news agency PTI reported.

The move marks the second instance of regulatory scrutiny faced by Meta this week.

Government To Seek Explanation

According to the report, the ministry will issue a notice asking Meta how such advertisements were approved, what corrective measures have been taken since the allegations surfaced, and what additional safeguards the company plans to introduce to prevent similar incidents.

The notice is expected to seek information on the company's response to the BBC investigation, which alleged that Instagram displayed paid advertisements containing terms such as "rape video" and "child video". According to the BBC report, the advertisements directed users to Telegram channels where such content was allegedly being sold.

The BBC also reported that Meta's recommendation algorithm promoted videos containing child sexual abuse material despite the company's policies prohibiting nudity and sexually explicit content.

Meta Cannot Rely On 'Third-Party Content' Defence: Sources

Government sources told PTI that Meta could not invoke the defence that it merely hosts third-party content if the allegations relate to paid advertisements.

Officials indicated that if the allegations are found to be true, the company could be held accountable because it receives revenue from advertisements displayed on its platforms.

While MeitY will examine the technical and regulatory aspects of the case, authorities noted that any agency, individual or organisation may also file complaints if they believe offences under Indian law have been committed.

Meta Reiterates Zero-Tolerance Policy

Responding to the BBC report, a Meta spokesperson said the company has a zero-tolerance policy towards child sexual abuse material, including in advertisements.

"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," the spokesperson said.

The company added that its teams continuously work to improve detection systems, block links to illegal content and share intelligence with other technology companies.

Meta had not responded to queries regarding the government's latest action at the time of reporting.

IT Act Prescribes Stringent Punishment

Section 67B of the Information Technology Act criminalises publishing, transmitting, creating, downloading or storing electronic content depicting children in sexually explicit acts.

The IT Rules also require intermediaries, including social media platforms, to exercise due diligence in detecting, removing and reporting CSAM. Failure to comply could result in the loss of safe harbour protections available to intermediaries.

The government has repeatedly stated that it follows a zero-tolerance policy towards child sexual abuse material and has blocked websites carrying such content based on information received through Interpol and the Central Bureau of Investigation.

Second Notice To Meta This Week

The latest action comes just days after the Centre issued another notice to Meta over WhatsApp's proposed username feature, raising concerns that it could facilitate online fraud, phishing, impersonation and digital arrest scams.

The government asked the company to pause the rollout until consultations are completed and sought an explanation on why action should not be initiated under the IT Act and related rules.

According to government sources, Meta has indicated that WhatsApp will defer the rollout of the feature while it submits its response to the ministry.