Instagram must immediately remove objectionable advertisements and content related to children

The Central Government has taken a strict stance regarding paid advertisements and content related to Child Sexual Exploitative and Abuse Material (CSEAM) on the social media platform Instagram and has directed Meta to remove them immediately. The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology instructed Meta to remove all such paid advertisements and content that, in any way, promote users’ access to CSEAM or facilitate its availability.

The Central Government made it clear in the notice that any kind of material related to the sexual exploitation of children will not be tolerated. The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology has asked Meta to immediately disable all such paid advertisements and related content present on Instagram. In addition, it must ensure that such content does not appear on the social media platform in the future.

The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology has given Meta seven days to respond to the matter. The government has asked Meta how such content and advertisements appeared on Instagram in the first place and what steps have been taken so far to prevent them. The government has sought a detailed report and explanation from Meta on how such a lapse occurred in its content moderation system and advertisement review process.

Furthermore, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology has also instructed Meta that if its algorithms are, in any way, helping sexually exploitative content reach more users, they must be stopped immediately. The Central Government believes that any technology or algorithmic system that promotes such content should face immediate action.

The Central Government has taken this step amid growing concerns about children’s safety on social media platforms. The responsibility of social media companies is not limited to removing objectionable content; they are also responsible for developing robust technical systems to identify such content and prevent its spread.(courtsy NDTV)
(UPDATED ON 5TH JULY 2026)