Meta India Chief Summoned Over Instagram Child Abuse Ad Report

The National Commission for the Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) has summoned the Managing Director and Head of Meta India to appear before it on September 9, in connection with an inquiry into advertisements allegedly linked to Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse Material (CSEAM).

The Commission took suo motu cognisance of a media report published by BBC Eye and issued a notice to Meta Platforms, Inc. on July 3, 2026, asking the company to explain the allegations. Meta submitted its response a week after receiving the notice.

After reviewing that response, the NCPCR decided to launch a formal inquiry to establish the facts and circumstances of the matter. As part of the ongoing proceedings, the Commission has now called the MD and Head of Meta India to appear on September 9 and provide further details.

The BBC Eye investigation alleged that Instagram had been running paid advertisements promoting child sexual abuse material in India. According to the report, the adverts, seen by the BBC World Service, used terms including "rape video" and "child video" and directed users to channels on the messaging app Telegram, where the material could allegedly be bought for as little as Rs 99 (about 80p).

The report noted that advertisements on Instagram are only published after being approved by the platform's moderation technology. When the BBC flagged one of the adverts to Instagram, the platform reportedly responded a day later, stating that the post did not violate its "community guidelines".

The NCPCR's inquiry aims to determine the facts behind these allegations and to examine the adequacy of Meta's response to the Commission.

Separately, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has directed the Delhi Police to carry out a thorough investigation into the allegations that paid Instagram adverts promoted CSAM in India. The NHRC has also asked police to examine whether Meta and other concerned entities met their mandatory reporting obligations under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.

The NHRC took up the matter after taking note of the BBC World Service reports, which alleged that Instagram adverts used specific terms and redirected users to channels where such material was allegedly being sold.

In a letter dated July 8, the NHRC directed the Commissioner of Police, Delhi, to submit a comprehensive Action Taken Report on the matter. The proceedings began after a complaint dated July 6 was placed before the Commission.