Government sends notice to Meta on Instagram ads allegedly linked to child sexual abuse (Reuters Photo)The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has issued a notice to Meta-owned Instagram, directing the social media platform to disable all advertisements and content promoting and facilitating access to child sexual abuse material (CSAM).The government has also asked Meta to provide a detailed explanation, within a week, on why and how the platform had allowed users to post paid advertisements containing such material.The notice was sent Saturday evening after BBC reported that Instagram was allowing paid advertisements promoting child sexual abuse material in India.“The government has issued a stern notice to Meta on the issue. MeitY has ordered Instagram to disable all ads and content promoting and facilitating access to CSAM, and sought a detailed explanation within seven days,” a senior government official said.A Meta spokesperson said the company has a “zero-tolerance” policy on sharing such content, and that Instagram deploys artificial intelligence (AI) tools to proactively detect it.“Meta has a zero tolerance policy for soliciting or sharing CSAM, including in ads. 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. That is why our expert teams are constantly working to improve our defences, develop new technology to root out predators, block links to violating websites, and share intelligence with other companies so they can take action too,” the spokesperson said.Also Read | What BBC’s investigation into Instagram showing child sex abuse ads in India revealsThe episode has ignited an important conversation surrounding safe harbour available to social media companies, under which they are allowed legal immunity from hosting third-party, user-generated content on their platforms.Story continues below this adThe key idea behind the immunity is that companies do not have prior knowledge of what users might post on their platforms, and as a result cannot be held liable for them until such content is brought to their notice, under a legal provision called “actual knowledge”.However, the government is now considering whether such protections should be available to companies for hosting advertisements, given that there is a preliminary moderation that platforms are expected to carry out while reviewing advertising material.“It cannot be a case where a social media platform is allowed to host such deeply problematic advertisements, and have no consequences due to safe harbour protections. We are discussing whether advertisements on social media should have the same protections as regular content,” an official said.Broadly, many are also seeing the development as a potential precursor that could kickstart conversations within the Centre around regulatory protections for children on social media.Story continues below this adCountries like Australia, the United Kingdom and the United Arab Emirates, among others, have moved to ban social media access for children. India is learnt to have discussed a graded approach to such limits but a concrete step is yet to be taken, The Indian Express had reported earlier.This is the second instance within a week when Meta has found itself in the crosshairs of the Indian government.Earlier, the government asked Meta-owned WhatsApp to not roll out its upcoming username feature over concerns of impersonation and fraud. In a notice issued to the company, the IT Ministry gave WhatsApp three days to furnish a detailed explanation on the username feature.In its notice, the government is understood to have told WhatsApp that the feature may materially increase the incidence of online fraud, phishing, digital arrest scams and impersonation attacks, by enabling bad actors to solicit and message unsuspecting users. The government has also flagged that the feature may facilitate impersonation of individuals, public authorities, financial institutions and government agencies, by permitting the adoption of usernames closely resembling those of genuine people and institutions.Soumyarendra Barik is a Special Correspondent with The Indian Express, specializing in the complex and evolving intersection of technology, policy, and society. With over five years of newsroom experience, he is a key voice in documenting how digital transformations impact the daily lives of Indian citizens. Expertise & Focus Areas Barik’s reporting delves into the regulatory and human aspects of the tech world. His core areas of focus include: The Gig Economy: He extensively covers the rights and working conditions of gig workers in India. Tech Policy & Regulation: Analysis of policy interventions that impact Big Tech companies and the broader digital ecosystem. Digital Rights: Reporting on data privacy, internet freedom, and India's prevalent digital divide. Authoritativeness & On-Ground Reporting: Barik is known for his immersive and data-driven approach to journalism. A notable example of his commitment to authentic storytelling involves him tailing a food delivery worker for over 12 hours. This investigative piece quantified the meager earnings and physical toll involved in the profession, providing a verified, ground-level perspective often missing in tech reporting. Personal Interests Outside of the newsroom, Soumyarendra is a self-confessed nerd about horology (watches), follows Formula 1 racing closely, and is an avid football fan. Find all stories by Soumyarendra Barik here. ... Read More Tags:instagramMETA