NEW DELHI, INDIA / RankWire.AI / – Instagram carried paid advertisements in India that promoted access to child sexual abuse material, prompting action from Indian authorities and Meta. Some advertisements directed users to Telegram channels offering illegal material for payment. Prices started at 99 rupees in some cases. Meta later confirmed that the ads violated its child exploitation policies. The company removed additional advertisements, disabled related accounts and blocked links after reviewing the material identified during the investigation.
Investigators set up an Instagram account in India and followed profiles containing sexually suggestive content. The platform soon began showing the account paid advertisements for explicit material. Later advertisements included children in sexually suggestive situations and directed users to Telegram. Investigators documented about 30 distinct ads linked to child sexual abuse material. Some appeared under more than one advertiser account. The findings showed that prohibited content had entered Instagram’s paid advertising system despite the platform’s review controls.
Instagram reviews advertisements through automated systems and, in some cases, human checks. Investigators reported one advertisement involving a young child through Instagram’s reporting tools. The platform initially responded that the advertisement did not violate its standards. Meta later said its systems had already detected some offending advertisements and disabled associated accounts. The company then removed more content after receiving additional information. Meta said it also blocked URLs connected to material that breached its rules on child sexual exploitation.
Indian government demands action from Meta
India’s Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology responded after the advertising findings became public in July. The ministry directed Meta to remove advertisements and content that promoted or enabled access to child sexual exploitative and abuse material. It also sought information about how such advertisements passed Instagram’s safeguards. The Indian government later said it had taken serious note of the reports and requested a detailed response from the intermediary involved. Authorities continued examining compliance with India’s online safety requirements.
The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights also became involved in the case. The commission issued notices to social media platforms and later opened an inquiry concerning Meta-owned services. Indian law places duties on online intermediaries when they encounter unlawful material involving children. The Information Technology Act and related rules govern platform responsibilities for harmful online content. The Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act also establishes criminal protections against sexual exploitation and abuse involving minors.
Platform enforcement faces official examination
Meta said it uses technology to detect accounts that show suspicious activity involving children. The company reported removing more than 4 million Facebook and Instagram accounts worldwide during 2025 for potentially suspicious behavior involving minors. It also reported removing millions of pieces of child exploitation content. In India, Meta said detection systems targeting suspicious off-platform links contributed to 160,000 account removals during a six-month period. The company maintains policies that prohibit advertisements which exploit, endanger or sexualize children.
The case has placed Instagram’s advertising controls under formal scrutiny in India. Authorities are examining how prohibited material reached users through paid promotions and whether platform safeguards met legal requirements. Meta has acknowledged that violating advertisements appeared and says it took enforcement action against related ads, accounts and links. Telegram also removed channels connected to illegal child sexual abuse material after they were identified. As of August 7, India’s child protection authorities continued their inquiry into the material and the platforms involved.