New Delhi: In another major setback for Meta in India, Union IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has directed officials in his ministry to summon the US tech giant over reports that advertisements promoting child sexual abuse material (CSAM) appeared on Instagram, sources said on Friday.
The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) will seek an explanation from Meta over the issue, the sources added.
The move follows a BBC investigation alleging that Meta's recommendation algorithm had been promoting videos containing child sexual abuse material, exposing serious gaps in the company's safety mechanisms.
The report also claimed that advertisements promoting such content appeared on Facebook and Instagram, despite Meta's advertising policies explicitly prohibiting nudity and sexually explicit material.
An email sent to Meta seeking comment on the government's action and the BBC report did not receive an immediate response.
This is the second instance this week in which the Indian government has tightened scrutiny of Meta.
On July 1, the Union Government issued a notice to Meta over WhatsApp's proposed username feature, expressing concerns that it could materially increase online fraud, phishing, digital arrest scams and impersonation attacks.
The government directed WhatsApp to pause the rollout of the feature until consultations on the matter are completed "to the satisfaction of the Government."
On Friday, a Meta delegation met officials in the IT Ministry following the notice over WhatsApp's proposed username feature in India, sources said.
They added that, as the company has been given three days to furnish a detailed explanation on the username feature, Meta will submit its final response within the stipulated timeline.
In its notice, the Indian Government also asked Meta to explain why action should not be initiated under the Information Technology Act and the relevant rules over WhatsApp's proposed feature, which it believes could increase cybercrime.
The government further reminded Meta that WhatsApp, as a Significant Social Media Intermediary (SSMI), is required to comply with due diligence obligations under the Information Technology Act and its rules.
