India child rights body summons Meta over alleged abuse ads

India’s National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) has summoned Meta India’s managing director and country head to appear before the commission on 9 September 2026 over allegations involving advertisements on Instagram linked to child sexual exploitation and abuse material (CSEAM).

The summons follows an investigation by BBC Eye published in July, which alleged that Instagram in India carried paid advertisements using terms such as ‘rape video’ and ‘child video’. According to the investigation, some of the advertisements directed users to Telegram channels where child sexual abuse material (CSAM) could allegedly be purchased. The investigation also alleged that the advertisements passed through Instagram’s advertising approval systems and, in some cases, were amplified by the platform’s recommendation algorithms.

NCPCR launched an inquiry following the BBC investigation and, on 3 July, issued a notice to Meta Platforms seeking an explanation and details of the safeguards in place to prevent CSEAM-related content from being promoted or monetised.

Meta responded approximately a week later, stating that it does not knowingly run such advertisements and that it had removed the identified advertisements, accounts and links. After reviewing Meta’s response, NCPCR decided on 4 August to open a formal inquiry to establish the facts and circumstances surrounding the allegations.

The inquiry is expected to examine how the alleged CSEAM-linked advertisements appeared on Instagram, how they passed through Meta’s advertising moderation and approval systems, and what technical and policy safeguards were in place to prevent such content from being promoted, recommended or monetised. It will also consider the adequacy and timeliness of Meta’s response after the allegations emerged.

NCPCR officials have indicated that the proceedings will also consider provisions under India’s Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act relating to CSAM.

The NCPCR inquiry is taking place alongside scrutiny by other Indian authorities. In July, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) ordered Instagram to disable advertisements and content promoting or facilitating access to CSEAM and sought a detailed explanation from Meta.

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has also taken cognisance of the BBC reports and directed Delhi Police to conduct a comprehensive probe into whether paid advertisements on Instagram promoted CSAM and whether Meta and other entities complied with mandatory reporting obligations under POCSO. NHRC has sought action-taken reports from MeitY, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and Delhi Police.

Independent monitoring has also added to the scrutiny. The Washington-based Tech Transparency Project (TTP) reported in early September that it had identified 332 advertisements containing suspected CSAM on Facebook and Instagram in 2026, including dozens targeting India. According to the material provided, many of the advertisements continued to run after the Indian government’s July directive to Meta.

Meta has stated that it does not knowingly run advertisements featuring child sexual abuse material and that such content violates its advertising policies. The company says it removes offending advertisements, accounts and links when identified and reports potential child exploitation cases to the US National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) in line with its legal obligations.

The NCPCR hearing is part of the ongoing regulatory and rights scrutiny of allegations concerning CSEAM on Instagram in India. The outcome of the inquiry will determine how the commission addresses the allegations and Meta’s safeguards and response.