New Delhi: The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights has summoned Meta India’s Managing Director and Head to appear before the commission on September 9 as part of an inquiry into allegations involving advertisements linked to child sexual exploitation and abuse material.
The proceedings follow a media investigation that alleged Instagram had allowed paid advertisements promoting such material to appear in India. The report claimed that some advertisements used search terms associated with child abuse and directed users to Telegram channels where the material was allegedly being offered for sale.
The NCPCR took suo motu cognisance of the allegations and issued a notice to Meta Platforms on July 3, seeking an explanation from the company. Meta submitted its response a week later.
After examining the response, the child rights commission decided to initiate a formal inquiry to establish the facts and circumstances surrounding the allegations. The appearance of Meta India’s senior representatives is intended to provide further information as the investigation continues.
The allegations have also raised questions about the effectiveness of Instagram’s content moderation systems. The investigation claimed that advertisements on the platform undergo moderation before publication and alleged that one flagged advertisement remained available even after it was reported to Instagram.
Separately, the National Human Rights Commission has directed the Delhi Police to conduct a detailed investigation into the allegations. The NHRC has asked authorities to examine whether Meta and other entities involved complied with their legal reporting responsibilities under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act.
The human rights panel took up the issue after reviewing reports concerning the alleged advertisements and their links to external channels. It directed the Delhi Police Commissioner to submit a comprehensive Action Taken Report.
The twin proceedings by the NCPCR and NHRC place greater scrutiny on social media platforms over the detection and removal of child sexual abuse material, as well as their compliance with legal obligations to report such content to authorities.
