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Knews Desk- Instagram’s advertising network has faced serious allegations of promoting accounts and websites that promote material to the sexual exploitation of children.

Government will ask these questions to Meta

According to sources, the ministry will seek clear answers from Meta as to how and why such objectionable advertisements appeared on the platform. Along with this, the government also wants to know what steps have been taken so far to stop them and what security arrangements have been made to prevent such incidents in future. The government has expressed concern about the online safety of children and the responsibility of the platform. At present, there has been no official response from Meta on this matter.

Serious questions raised again on the safety of children

The safety of children on social media platforms is once again under big questions. It is alleged that Instagram’s advertising network promoted accounts and websites that promote child sexual abuse material (CSAM). After this matter comes to light, the Ministry of Information Technology will soon seek a reply from Meta. The government clearly says that no compromise on the safety of children will be accepted and strict action will be taken against negligence.

What is the whole matter?

The matter came to light after media reports claimed that objectionable content was being promoted through some paid advertisements on Instagram. Through these advertisements, users were being directed to Telegram channels, where allegedly this illegal content was being made available for up to Rs 99. The most serious thing that came to light was that Instagram’s advertising system shows these advertisements on the platform only after approval.

What does the law say

Producing, broadcasting, promoting or distributing sexually exploitative material involving children is a serious crime in India. There is a provision for strict punishment in such cases under Section 67 and 67B of the Information Technology Act. Apart from this, under the IT Rules 2021, the responsibility of social media companies has been fixed to remove illegal content in time. Also, strict action can be taken against the culprits under POCSO law.

How serious is the matter?

India already faces serious challenges regarding online child safety. According to the data, in the year 2025, around 19 lakh Cybertipline complaints were registered in sexual exploitation cases involving children from India. In this matter, India stood second after America, which shows the seriousness of the situation.

Now what next?

Now everyone’s eyes are on what answer Meta gives to the government’s questions and what changes it makes in its ad moderation system. The Central Government has been adopting a strict stance regarding objectionable content on digital platforms for some time now. Earlier, action has also been taken on many OTT platforms.

Recently, the government had also sought clarification from Meta regarding the username feature of WhatsApp. In such a situation, the summoning of Meta after these serious allegations on Instagram is being considered as an indication that the government can take further strict steps regarding the online safety of children.