Centre Orders Meta To Remove Child Abuse Ads On Instagram, Seeks Reply Within 7 Days

New Delhi: The Central government has taken strict action against social media giant Meta and issued a notice over the alleged presence of Child Sexual Exploitative and Abuse Material (CSEAM) in paid advertisements on Instagram. 

What did the governement say?

The government has directed Meta to remove Child Sexual Exploitative and Abuse Material (CSEAM) from paid advertisements on its platforms. Meta has been asked to provide a detailed response within seven days. A report had revealed that paid advertisements on Instagram were promoting content related to child sexual abuse.

The Central government has now issued a strict notice to Meta regarding this matter. According to reports, the IT Ministry has directed Instagram to immediately ban such advertisements and content. The government has also asked Meta about the presence of such content on its platform and the steps taken to address such issues.

Government issues stern notice to Meta on child sexual abuse material in Instagram advertisements: Sources. pic.twitter.com/UV9qDrTK3V

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) July 5, 2026

What is the matter?

A report revealed that more than two dozen advertisements on Instagram promote content related to child sexual abuse. These advertisements included links to Telegram channels where such content could be purchased for a fee. Following this report, IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnav directed ministry officials to summon Meta officials.  

Govt issues stern notice to Meta on Child Sexual Exploitative & Abuse Material (CSEAM) in paid ads on Instagram. MeitY (Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology) orders Instagram to disable all ads & content promoting and facilitating access to CSEAM. Govt demands a… pic.twitter.com/JaFZ94ia52

— ANI (@ANI) July 5, 2026

The development comes as part of the Centre's crackdown on the circulation and promotion of child sexual abuse material online, with authorities seeking stricter compliance from digital platforms to curb illegal and exploitative content.