Govt Summons Meta Over Instagram Ads Promoting Child Sexual Abuse Material: Report

Union IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has directed officials of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) to summon Meta over Instagram advertisements allegedly promoting child sexual abuse material (CSAM), sources said on Friday, according to PTI.

The ministry is expected to seek a detailed explanation from the social media giant and ask it to clarify how such advertisements were allowed to appear on Instagram despite the platform's content moderation mechanisms.

The move marks the second instance this week of the Centre taking action involving Meta. Earlier on Wednesday, the government issued a notice to the company over WhatsApp's proposed username feature, expressing concerns that it could facilitate online fraud, phishing, digital arrest scams and identity impersonation.

The Centre directed WhatsApp to suspend the rollout of the feature until consultations with the government are completed and its concerns are satisfactorily addressed.

The notice also asked Meta to explain why proceedings should not be initiated against the company under the Information Technology Act and the relevant rules, arguing that the proposed feature could heighten cybersecurity risks.

Additionally, the government reminded Meta that WhatsApp, classified as a significant social media intermediary, is obligated to comply with the due diligence requirements prescribed under the Information Technology Act and its associated rules.