The IT Ministry issued a notice to Meta in early July 2026 over paid Instagram ads promoting child sexual abuse material, and ordered Instagram to disable such ads and content.
Meta was given seven days to explain, Akashvani News reported on July 5. Earlier reports linked the notice to a BBC Eye investigation, and Meta said it has zero tolerance for such content. Details are based on Akashvani News and ThePrint.
The notice at a glance
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Issued by | Ministry of Electronics and IT |
| Concern | Paid Instagram ads promoting abuse material |
| Order | Disable such ads and content |
| Deadline | Detailed reply within seven days |
What happens next
The government said it is reviewing Meta’s compliance with India’s intermediary rules, and it described distributing such material as a criminal offence under digital laws. We have not seen a public outcome from the review.
The case raises a wider question about how ads are checked before they run.
What parents and shops should do
Parents setting up phones for children can use the phone’s parental controls. Shops are often asked for help with this, and a few minutes can be a real service. Suspected child abuse material should be reported on cybercrime.gov.in, and should never be shared onward, even to report it.
Correction (November 1, 2026): An earlier version mentioned 362 million users. We could not find a source for that figure.
