India instructs Meta to remove child abuse advertisements from Instagram.

      India's IT ministry has instructed Meta to promptly remove all Instagram advertisements and content that promotes child sexual exploitation material, allowing the company seven days to justify how these ads passed inspection. This directive comes after a BBC Eye investigation and the recent summons of Meta executives, jeopardizing the company's Section 79 safe harbor protections. The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology has also requested corrective measures against what it refers to as the algorithmic amplification of such content, as reported by the Tribune. This order intensifies a conflict that started when the ministry summoned Meta executives last week.

      The catalyst for these actions was a BBC Eye report published on July 3, which indicated that a test account in India was targeted with approximately 30 different paid advertisements using explicit search terms, directing users to Telegram channels that offered illegal items for as little as INR 99 (around $1).

      Failure to adhere to the ministry’s order could jeopardize Meta’s safe harbor protection under Section 79 of India’s IT Act, as noted by The Federal. This protection exempts platforms from liability for user-generated content, provided they fulfill due diligence requirements specified in India’s IT Rules.

      As of the time of writing, there was no response from Meta according to Indian press sources. The company has stated in the past that it prohibits content depicting the sexualization of children and reports abuse material to law enforcement.

      A global enforcement movement is underway, with India not being the only country taking action against platforms regarding child safety. The UK's Ofcom has initiated a child safety investigation into Telegram under the Online Safety Act, following inquiries into X and Grok. In the US, lawmakers have passed a kids’ online safety package in the House, while advocacy groups have urged the FTC to investigate Roblox over child safety issues. In Europe, a significant portion of GDPR fines imposed on social platforms already pertains to the protection of children’s data.

      For Meta, this notification from India is particularly significant as it represents the company’s largest user base. If the BBC’s findings are validated, it suggests that the platform did not just host inappropriate content but actively sold advertising space for it.