The Central Government has issued a show-cause notice to Meta over the alleged circulation of advertisements on Instagram linked to Child Sexual Exploitative and Abuse Material (CSEAM), directing the company to submit a detailed response within seven days. The government has also ordered the immediate removal of all advertisements and content that promote, facilitate, or provide access to such material, underscoring its zero-tolerance approach toward online child exploitation and illegal digital content.
According to official sources, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) issued the notice on Saturday evening, instructing Meta to immediately disable any advertisements or content on Instagram that promote or facilitate access to child sexual abuse material. The ministry has also sought a comprehensive explanation from the company regarding its responsibility and compliance mechanisms for preventing such content from appearing on the platform.
Sources said Union Minister for Electronics and Information Technology Ashwini Vaishnaw has directed MeitY to summon Meta officials to explain how such advertisements were permitted to appear on Instagram, what safeguards were in place to prevent them, and whether the company’s existing review systems were adequate to detect and block such illegal content before publication.
The government has sought detailed information on Meta’s content moderation framework, advertisement review process, and the technological and operational measures adopted to detect, remove, and prevent child sexual exploitation material across its platforms. The ministry is also expected to examine what additional enforcement mechanisms the company is implementing to strengthen action against illegal and harmful content.
Government officials stated that the online circulation of child sexual abuse material constitutes a grave criminal offence, and digital platforms have a legal and ethical responsibility to maintain robust technological safeguards and human oversight to prevent such content from being published or disseminated. The ongoing action is aimed at ensuring greater accountability from major social media companies operating in India.
As of the filing of the report, Meta had not issued any official statement regarding the notice. The company is expected to furnish its response within the stipulated timeline, following which the government will assess the explanation and determine the next course of action based on the available evidence and applicable regulatory provisions.
The development comes shortly after the Central Government put the wider rollout of WhatsApp’s proposed username feature in India on hold. At the time, WhatsApp informed the government that the feature would be optional and that multiple safeguards had been incorporated to prevent impersonation, cyber fraud, and unwanted contact before its broader launch.
Renowned cybercrime expert and former IPS officer Prof. Triveni Singh said that networks involved in distributing child sexual abuse material often operate as part of highly organised international cybercrime ecosystems. According to him, social media platforms must strengthen artificial intelligence-based detection systems, hash-matching technologies, proactive human moderation, and real-time coordination with global law enforcement agencies to identify and eliminate such content at the earliest stage. He added that swift intervention, preservation of digital evidence, and international cooperation are essential to identify offenders and dismantle cross-border criminal networks involved in child exploitation.
Government officials said the matter remains under close monitoring, and further action will depend on Meta’s response and the findings of the investigation. If any violation of regulatory obligations or applicable provisions of the Information Technology Act and other relevant laws is established, appropriate legal action may be initiated against the company in accordance with the law.
