Will await Meta's formal reply and accordingly take a view: IT secretary on CSEAM notice

New Delhi, India Jul 9, 2026 ALN: The Indian government is currently awaiting a formal response from Meta regarding a notice served over Child Sexual Exploitative and Abuse Material (CSEAM) in paid s on Instagram. IT Secretary S. Krishnan stated on Thursday that the government will take a stance based on the response provided by the social media giant. This situation has raised significant concerns about the safety of children on social media platforms, especially in light of the increasing prevalence of online exploitation and abuse.

The notice was issued to Meta on Saturday by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), which ordered Instagram to disable all ads and content that promote or facilitate access to CSEAM. The urgency of this action reflects the Indian government's commitment to protecting children from online exploitation, a growing concern in the digital age where social media platforms play a central role in the lives of young users.

IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw directed MeitY officials to summon Meta concerning allegations that Instagram ads were promoting child sexual abuse material. The ministry has demanded an explanation and details regarding the actions taken by the company to address these serious allegations. This development highlights the increasing scrutiny that tech companies are facing from governments worldwide, as regulators seek to hold them accountable for the content shared on their platforms.

In response to the notice, Meta published a blog outlining its efforts to combat child sexual abuse material across its platforms. The company highlighted the use of AI-powered detection tools and large-scale enforcement actions, promising to continue investing in technology and resources to ensure the safety of young users while strengthening its ad review processes. This response is part of Meta's broader strategy to mitigate risks associated with user-generated content and to demonstrate its commitment to child safety.

In the blog, published on Tuesday, Meta described child exploitation as a "horrific crime" and asserted its commitment to fighting such abuse both on and off its platforms. This statement reflects the company's recognition of the severity of the issue and its responsibility as a major player in the social media landscape. However, critics argue that despite these assertions, the measures in place may not be sufficient to prevent exploitation.

When asked about the IT Ministry's perspective on Meta's response, Krishnan, speaking at the CII GCC Business Summit, stated, "We will await the formal response to the notice that we have issued, and thereafter we will take a view based on what the response is." This approach indicates that the government is taking a measured stance, emphasizing the need for accountability and transparency from Meta.

The scrutiny from the government follows a BBC report alleging that Meta's recommendation algorithm had been promoting videos containing child sexual abuse material, raising concerns about significant gaps in the company's safeguards. The report has amplified calls for stricter regulations and oversight of social media platforms, particularly concerning their algorithms and the potential for harmful content to be disseminated.

The BBC investigation also claimed that such content appeared on Facebook and Instagram, despite Meta's advertising policies explicitly prohibiting nudity and sexually explicit content. Allegations include Instagram displaying paid ads with terms like 'rape video' and 'child video,' directing users to Telegram channels where such content was reportedly available for purchase. These revelations have sparked outrage among child protection advocates and highlighted the need for more robust content moderation practices.

In its blog post, Meta explained that its advertising review process combines automated systems with human reviewers to detect and remove ads that violate its policies. However, the company acknowledged that no system can catch every violation. This admission underscores the complexities involved in content moderation, particularly in a vast ecosystem like social media where millions of posts are made every day.

Ads are screened before they run and are subject to continuous review, with users also having the ability to report suspected violations. Meta emphasized, "This work is ongoing. Our teams are constantly improving our defenses—developing new technology, blocking violating links, and sharing intelligence across the industry—but we know there is more to do. We will continue investing in every resource needed to keep young people safe, strengthen our ad review processes, and work with law enforcement to hold criminals accountable." This commitment to improvement is essential, as the landscape of digital exploitation continues to evolve.

Meta further detailed its ongoing efforts to combat child exploitation across its apps, highlighting AI-powered detection tools, clearly defined policies against child nudity, abuse, and exploitation, and large-scale enforcement actions. Such measures are crucial in the fight against online child exploitation, as they aim to create a safer environment for young users who may be vulnerable to predatory behavior.

In response to recent news reports about Instagram ads in India that violated its policies against child exploitation, Meta stated, "We take these concerns seriously; we never want this content on our platforms, and we're committed to improving our efforts to combat it." This statement reflects an awareness of the gravity of the situation and a willingness to act, although it remains to be seen how effective these measures will be in practice.

Meta categorically denied suggestions that it deliberately targets ads featuring children to users based on inappropriate interests, stating, "Quite the opposite; we use technology to identify accounts that have shown potentially suspicious activity related to children, and we automatically removed over four million of these accounts last year." This defense aims to counter claims that the platform may be complicit in promoting harmful content through its advertising mechanisms.

The company also noted that it has strengthened AI-powered enforcement against child exploitation, with newer systems covering languages spoken by 98% of people online. In the past year, Meta reported the removal of over four million suspicious accounts and 36 million pieces of child exploitation content globally. In India, AI tools helped remove 160,000 accounts in the past six months for posting suspicious links linked to exploitative activity. These statistics illustrate the scale of the challenge faced by Meta and other social media platforms in combating exploitation and abuse online.

The implications of this situation extend beyond the immediate concerns about child safety on social media. As governments around the world grapple with the complexities of regulating technology companies, the outcome of this case may set important precedents for how social media platforms are held accountable for content shared on their sites. It could also influence public perception of these companies and their commitment to user safety, particularly regarding vulnerable populations like children.

As the Indian government continues to assess Meta's response, the broader conversation about child safety in the digital realm is likely to gain momentum. Stakeholders, including policymakers, child protection advocates, and technology companies, will need to engage in meaningful dialogue to develop effective strategies that prioritize the safety of children while balancing the rights of users and the operational realities of social media platforms.