Instagram in India found promoting child sexual abuse ads on its platform: Report

BBC
Instagram found running ads for child sexual abuse material, reports BBC

BBC has reported that Instagram is allowing paid advertisements promoting child sexual abuse material (CSAM) in India. The ads, which appeared on the platform’s algorithm-driven feeds, use explicit terms such as “rape video” and “child video” and direct users to Telegram channels selling the illegal content for as little as 99 rupees.

The BBC investigative reporters placed a test account in India, and within days, they started receiving dozens of such ads featuring images of children in sexually suggestive or explicit situations with adults on their feed. Approximately 30 unique CSAM-promoting ads were documented, alongside 20 adult pornography promotions. Both are criminal offences under Indian law.

Ads can only appear on Instagram after the platform’s moderation technology approves them. The BBC report states that their alias account started receiving sexually suggestive content pushed by the Instagram algorithm, even though the user never searched for such content. After they followed some handles promoting sexually suggestive content, they started receiving ads that showed explicit pornography and eventually ads suggesting child sexual abuse material with links to Telegram accounts.

When one ad was reported, Instagram initially claimed it “did not violate community guidelines.” Meta later removed several ads and suspended accounts after the BBC’s findings were shared. The company stated it “aggressively” fights child exploitation, uses automated detection, and reports to authorities, while denying it deliberately targets such content.

This year, Telegram said they removed 274,000 groups and channels related to child sexual abuse material.

It is notable here that In March 2026, a New Mexico jury ordered Meta to pay $375 million in civil penalties for violating consumer protection laws by misleading users about platform safety. The case highlighted exposure of children to sexually explicit content, CSAM, predators, grooming, and sex trafficking on Instagram and Facebook.

In April 2026, the European Commission issued preliminary findings that Meta breached the Digital Services Act (DSA)by failing to effectively prevent children under 13 from accessing Instagram and Facebook.

Written by OpIndia Staff
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