India has issued a notice to Meta Platforms over child sexual abuse-related advertisements on Instagram, days after regulators warned WhatsApp over a planned username feature, intensifying scrutiny of the U.S. technology company in its largest market by users.
India’s Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology on Saturday issued what state broadcaster DD News described as a “stern notice” over the presence of Child Sexual Exploitative and Abuse Material (CSEAM) in paid advertisements on Instagram.
The ministry directed Instagram to “immediately disable all advertisements and content that promote” child sexual abuse and requested a detailed explanation from Meta within seven days, according to the report.
The notice followed a BBC investigation published on Friday that found Instagram had carried paid advertisements promoting child sexual abuse material in India.
Meta said it has a “Zero tolerance policy” for child abuse-related content.
The company is using “AI technology to proactively detect violating content and individuals, but we are in a constant battle with criminals who hide among our 3.5 billion users and try to evade our detection,” a Meta spokesperson said.
The latest action adds to regulatory pressure on Meta in India, where the company counts its largest user base globally across WhatsApp, Facebook and Instagram. India has more than 480 million Instagram users and over 400 million Facebook users, according to Statista.
Last week, Indian authorities also warned WhatsApp over its proposed username feature, saying it could increase cybercrime risks, and directed the messaging platform to pause the rollout.
Meta defended the feature, calling it a “major privacy feature” designed to help people stay connected without sharing phone numbers.
Neil Shah, vice president of research at Counterpoint Research, said the latest notice was a “wake-up call for Meta to tighten its compliance and control for its platforms” as the Indian government is keen “to tighten the leash over these massive digital platforms.”
Reema Bhattacharya, head of Asia research at Verisk Maplecroft, said India was becoming a more assertive regulator of major technology firms.
“I would describe India as a more demanding regulatory market rather than a hostile one,” she said.
Given India’s importance as a major digital market, companies should expect regulators to engage more actively on “issues ranging from online safety to data governance,” she added.
Meta has also faced regulatory pressure in Europe. Earlier this year, the European Commission said in preliminary findings that the company was breaching EU rules by failing to prevent children under 13 from accessing its platforms. Meta has disputed those findings.
Stay ahead of the stories shaping our world. Subscribe to Impact Newswire for timely, curated insights on global tech, business, and innovation all in one place.
Dive deeper into the future with the Cause Effect 4.0 Podcast, where we explore the ideas, trends, and technologies driving the global AI conversation.
Got a story to share? Pitch it to us at info@impactnews-wire.com and reach the right audience worldwide
Faustine Ngila is the AI Editor at Impact Newswire, based in Nairobi, Kenya. He is an award-winning journalist specializing in artificial intelligence, blockchain, and emerging technologies.
He previously worked as a global technology reporter at Quartz in New York and Digital Frontier in London, where he covered innovation, startups, and the global digital economy.
With years of experience reporting on cutting-edge technologies, Faustine focuses on AI developments, industry trends, and the impact of technology on society.
Discover more from Impact Newswire
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
