India orders Meta to remove abusive instagram ads

India's Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology has issued a notice to Meta, demanding the removal of paid advertisements on Instagram that allegedly promote child sexual abuse.

According to India's NDTV, an unnamed ministry official said the government had formally notified Meta over advertisements on the social media platform containing content linked to child sexual abuse, CE Report quotes Anadolu Agency.

The ministry has ordered Meta to remove the ads and submit a detailed response within seven days.

In a statement to the BBC, a Meta spokesperson said the company has "zero tolerance" for content involving child sexual exploitation and abuse.

The spokesperson added that Meta uses advanced artificial intelligence to detect harmful content and policy violations while working to identify criminals hiding among its 3.5 billion users.

Under Indian laws enacted in 2012, Meta could face legal action if it fails to provide the requested information to authorities.

The move follows a BBC investigation that found Instagram had published paid advertisements in India that allegedly promoted child sexual abuse.

Photo: Instagram