Meta Grilled by Child Rights Body Over Alleged Child Sexual Abuse Ads

Senior executives from global social media giant Meta, which operates Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, appeared before the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) on Wednesday, September 9, 2026. The appearance was in connection with an inquiry into alleged advertisements related to child sexual exploitative and abuse material (CSEAM) found on its platforms. Details of the questioning were not immediately released.

The NCPCR initiated its investigation on July 3, taking suo motu cognisance of a BBC Eye media report concerning these alleged CSEAM advertisements. Following this, Meta submitted its initial response to the commission a week later.

The NCPCR then decided to proceed with a formal inquiry, summoning Meta India's MD and Head to appear before it.

This action by the commission aligns with broader concerns about the alleged availability and promotion of child sexual exploitation material online. The Indian government had previously issued a stern notice to Meta in July regarding CSEAM in paid advertisements on Instagram. The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) ordered Instagram to immediately disable all such ads and content and demanded a comprehensive explanation.

This regulatory scrutiny intensified after IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw directed MeitY officials to summon Meta over Instagram ads allegedly promoting child sexual abuse material. The BBC investigation that prompted much of this action had claimed that Meta's recommendation algorithm was promoting videos containing CSEAM, indicating significant gaps in the platform's safeguards.

The report also alleged that advertisements of this nature were appearing on Facebook and Instagram, despite Meta's explicit policies against nudity and similar content.

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