The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) is currently reviewing Meta’s response to a government notice concerning advertisements on Instagram that allegedly promoted child sexual abuse material (CSAM). The company submitted its reply on Saturday, which was the deadline set by the ministry.
Speaking to reporters on Monday, MeitY Secretary S Krishnan confirmed that the response is under examination. He said the government will decide on the next course of action after evaluating Meta’s submission.
The notice was issued after concerns were raised over paid Instagram advertisements that allegedly promoted or facilitated access to child sexual exploitation and abuse material (CESAM). The Centre directed Meta to immediately remove such advertisements and explain how the content appeared on the platform.
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Previously, Meta has acknowledged reports stating the issue and said it was aware of the ads that violated its child safety policies. The company stated that it uses AI and other automated systems to detect and remove child exploitation content across its platforms. The social media giant also stated that it will continue to improve the moderation systems and advertising review processes to better protect users.
For the unaware, the government’s action comes shortly after BBC investigation which claimed Instagram’s recommendation system had surfaced videos containing child sexual abuse material. The report also suggested that the platform’s algorithms were amplifying harmful content despite the company’s policies prohibiting sexually explicit material and child exploitation.
Under the India’s IT Act- publishing, transmitting, storing or distributing content involving children in sexually explicit acts is a criminal offence. The Section 67B of the Act clearly deals with child sexual abuse material and provides for strict penalties against those involved in creating, sharing or hosting such content online.
Now, we will have to wait for the official response from the authorities and the proceedings. Stay tuned with Digit for the latest information.