The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) is set to summon Meta after reports alleged that advertisements promoting child sexual abuse material (CSAM) appeared on Instagram. According to government sources, Union Minister for Electronics and Information Technology Ashwini Vaishnaw has directed officials to seek an explanation from the company regarding the reported advertisements and the effectiveness of its content moderation systems.

The government is expected to question Meta on how such advertisements were allowed to appear on the platform despite existing safeguards designed to detect and remove illegal content. Officials are also likely to seek details on the company’s policies, automated detection tools, and human review processes aimed at preventing the circulation of CSAM.

The reported move comes amid increasing scrutiny of social media platforms over their responsibility to identify and remove harmful and illegal content.

The summons follows media reports that flagged the presence of advertisements allegedly linked to child sexual abuse material on Instagram, raising concerns over gaps in content moderation and advertising review systems. The government is expected to discuss the issue with Meta officials and seek clarification on the steps the company has taken to investigate the reported advertisements, remove any violating content, and prevent similar incidents in the future.

Meta has previously stated that it has strict policies prohibiting child exploitation and employs a combination of artificial intelligence, automated detection technologies, human reviewers, and partnerships with child safety organizations to identify and remove abusive content from its platforms. The company has also said it reports confirmed cases to relevant authorities and continuously updates its enforcement measures to combat online child exploitation.

Further details are expected after Meta responds to the government’s notice and officials conclude their discussions with the company.

(Inputs from Hindustan Times)

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