New Delhi: The Central Government has reportedly issued a strong notice to Meta over the alleged presence of Child Sexual Exploitative and Abuse Material (CSEAM) in paid advertisements on Instagram. According to sources, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has directed the social media platform to immediately disable all advertisements and content that promote or facilitate access to such material.
Sources said the ministry has taken a serious view of the issue and has instructed Instagram to ensure the swift removal of all content linked to CSEAM. The government has also sought a comprehensive explanation from Meta regarding the matter.
As part of the notice, the company has reportedly been asked to submit a detailed response within seven days, outlining how such content appeared on the platform and the steps being taken to prevent similar incidents in the future.
The move underscores the government’s growing focus on strengthening online safety, particularly for children, and ensuring that digital platforms comply with Indian laws governing harmful and illegal content. Authorities are said to be closely monitoring the platform’s response and its compliance with the directions issued by MeitY.
Meta has not yet issued an official statement on the reported notice. Further details are expected once the company responds to the ministry’s queries or releases a formal clarification.
The development comes amid increasing scrutiny of social media platforms over content moderation practices and their responsibility to prevent the spread of illegal and exploitative material online.
