India’s Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, or MeitY, issued a notice to Meta on July 5 over alleged paid Instagram ads linked to child sexual abuse material (CSAM), according to government sources.

The ministry ordered Instagram to disable ads and content that promote or facilitate access to child sexual exploitation and abuse material.

It also asked Meta to submit a detailed explanation within seven days.

The move followed an investigation that found Instagram carried ads using terms such as “rape video” and “child video” that directed users to Telegram channels where the material was sold for as little as 99 rupees (US$1).

Meta said it had disabled several ads, suspended accounts, and removed additional violating content.

MeitY has warned in similar CSAM cases that platforms that fail to comply could lose safe harbor under Section 79 of India’s Information Technology Act.

The ministry has previously issued related notices to X, YouTube, and Telegram.

🔗 Source: YourStory