NCPCR Summons Meta India Chief Over Child Abuse Ad Allegations

The National Commission for the Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) has summoned the Managing Director and Head of Meta India to appear before it on September 9. The move is part of an inquiry into allegations that Instagram ran paid advertisements promoting child sexual abuse material in India.

The Commission took suo motu cognisance of a BBC Eye investigation on the matter and issued a notice to Meta Platforms, Inc. on July 3. Meta submitted its response a week later. After reviewing the response, the NCPCR decided to launch a formal inquiry to establish the facts and circumstances of the case.

The BBC Eye investigation alleged that Instagram had been running paid advertisements promoting child sexual abuse material in India. The adverts reportedly used terms such as "rape video" and "child video" and directed users to channels on the messaging app Telegram, where the material could allegedly be bought for as little as Rs 99.

The report noted that advertisements on Instagram are only published after being approved by the platform's moderation technology. When the BBC flagged one of the adverts to Instagram, the platform reportedly responded a day later, stating that the post did not violate its "community guidelines".

Separately, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has directed the Delhi Police to carry out a thorough investigation into the allegations. The NHRC has also asked police to examine whether Meta and other concerned entities met their mandatory reporting obligations under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.

In a letter dated July 8, the NHRC directed the Commissioner of Police, Delhi, to submit a comprehensive Action Taken Report on the matter. The proceedings began after a complaint dated July 6 was placed before the Commission.