The Centre is set to summon representatives of Meta after reports alleged that Instagram displayed advertisements linked to Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM), triggering serious concerns over online child safety. Union IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has directed the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) to seek an explanation from the social media giant regarding the alleged presence of such content on its platform.
According to government officials, Meta’s content moderation policy, ad review system, and measures to avoid promotion of illegal material will be questioned. The centre will try to get information about the mechanism behind the approval of these advertisements and also the detection process of these advertisements.
The development follows concerns from the government over the responsibility of social media sites in ensuring that they contain no harmful or illegal content. There have been many times when the government has emphasized that digital platforms working within India need to abide by the laws of the nation.
Meta has not yet come up with a public statement. The result of this discussion will decide if other legal actions are taken against Meta.