Meta responds to govt notice on Instagram CSAM ads; MeitY reviews reply

New Delhi: Meta has submitted its response to the Centre's notice over child sexual abuse material (CSAM) advertisements on Instagram, and the reply is currently under examination, IT Secretary S. Krishnan said on Monday.

The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) had recently issued a notice to Meta after concerns were raised over paid advertisements on Instagram allegedly promoting Child Sexual Exploitative and Abuse Material (CSEAM).

According to Krishnan, the company's response was received by the ministry on Saturday, the deadline set for the submission.

"On the CSAM content, we had issued a notice to Meta, and the reply has been received. It is currently under examination," Krishnan said.

He added that the government would decide on the next course of action after reviewing Meta's response.

In its notice, MeitY directed Instagram to immediately disable all advertisements and content that promote or facilitate access to CSEAM. The ministry also sought a detailed explanation from Meta regarding the issue.

A few days after receiving the notice, Meta published a blog post outlining its efforts to tackle child sexual abuse material across its platforms. The company said it uses artificial intelligence-powered detection systems and large-scale enforcement measures to identify and remove such content.

Meta also said it would continue investing in technology, strengthen its advertisement review processes, and enhance safety measures to better protect young users.

PTI