On July 3, 2026, a BBC investigation revealed that Instagram, a Meta-owned platform, carried paid advertisements promoting child sexual abuse material in India. These ads, which cleared Instagram’s moderation systems, directed users to Telegram channels selling such content for as low as Rs 99. The BBC created a test account in India and started following several women whose posts used suggestive language and imagery. Within days, the account received advertisements offering explicit adult content, including ads featuring women and visuals of naked couples. Soon after, the platform began surfacing ads that sexualised children, with links directing users to Telegram groups.
Approximately 30 distinct advertisements promoting child sexual abuse material appeared on the account, alongside roughly 20 ads for adult pornography. Both categories breach Meta’s advertising policies and are criminal offences under Indian law. The BBC reported all the advertisements and the Telegram channels to Indian authorities. When the BBC flagged one advertisement to Instagram, the platform responded after 24 hours, saying its review team had found the ad did not breach community standards.
Meta later acknowledged the issue, saying it had disabled several advertisements and suspended the accounts posting them. The company removed additional ads, disabled more accounts, and blocked URLs linked to violating content after reviewing the BBC’s findings. Meta stated that no system was perfect and its review process might not detect every policy violation. The company said it referred apparent cases of child exploitation to the US-based National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, as required by law.
Image for illustration purposes only
đź“° Source: Siasat Gulf