The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) has asked Meta to explain why it did not tell the police after it allegedly found out that child sexual abuse material was being promoted on Instagram.
Under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, companies are required to report such matters to the police. This information comes from people familiar with the issue.
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Meta gets more time to respond
NCPCR had first asked Meta to reply by Monday, but after Meta requested extra time, the deadline was pushed to August 6.
The notice was sent after a BBC Eye investigation claimed that Instagram had run paid ads in India that promoted child sexual abuse content.
What the notice asks
According to the people familiar with the matter, NCPCR wants to know if Meta met its legal duty to report such offences under Section 19 of the POCSO Act, which says that anyone who becomes aware of such a crime must inform the Special Juvenile Police Unit or the local police.
One person explained the situation this way.
“NCPCR has specifically asked whether Meta informed the police after becoming aware of the content. It has also questioned why authorities were not informed if, as indicated in the BBC investigation, the company knew that Instagram advertisements were directing users to Telegram channels allegedly distributing such material.”
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What the BBC investigation found
The BBC Eye investigation discovered advertisements using terms like “rape video” and “child video”, which took users to Telegram channels that allegedly sold child sexual abuse material.
The report said that Instagram had first decided that one such flagged advertisement did not break its community rules. Later, the platform removed the ads, disabled the linked accounts and blocked the harmful URLs.
What happens if Meta’s answer is not enough
NCPCR took up this matter on its own after the BBC report came out. A second person said that if the commission is not satisfied with Meta’s explanation, it could send another notice asking for more details.
Government’s earlier action
On July 4, the ministry of electronics and information technology told Meta to remove all advertisements and content that promoted or gave access to child sexual abuse material.
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The ministry said it was treating the alleged spread of such harmful content through algorithms with the “utmost seriousness” and asked for urgent corrective steps. Meta has since submitted a report, which the ministry is currently reviewing.
Matter raised in Parliament
This issue also came up in Parliament. Responding to a question in the Lok Sabha on July 22, minister of state for electronics and IT Jitin Prasada said that the government had “taken seriousness note” of reports about advertisements linked to child sexual abuse material appearing on social media platforms, and that a detailed report had been sought from the platform involved.
FAQs
1: What has NCPCR asked Meta to explain?
Whether Meta informed the police after allegedly becoming aware of child sexual abuse material being promoted through Instagram ads, as required under the POCSO Act.
2: What is the new deadline for Meta to respond?
August 6, extended from the original Monday deadline after Meta asked for more time.
