The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has issued notices to Meta, the Director Generals of Police (DGPs) of eight states and the Information Technology Secretary over allegations that Instagram and Facebook hosted pornographic and age-inappropriate content that could amount to Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM), triggering possible violations of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.
The action comes amid mounting scrutiny of Meta’s content moderation practices following multiple investigations that alleged the company’s platforms carried advertisements and other content linked to child sexual exploitation.
Speaking to CNN-News18, NHRC member Priyank Kanoongo said that if the allegations are substantiated, the matter warrants a criminal investigation. He emphasised that hosting paid content containing CSAM could constitute a punishable offence under the POCSO Act and said an FIR should be registered against Meta if legal violations are established.
The human rights body has directed the police authorities in the eight states to investigate the allegations and initiate appropriate legal action wherever required. As part of the proceedings, the NHRC has also impleaded the Information Technology Secretary.
According to Kanoongo, the Commission has shared 50 specific URLs with the concerned authorities for investigation. He warned that inaction despite the availability of these URLs would invite further intervention from the NHRC.
“If the concerned authorities don’t initiate the investigation despite 50 URLs being made available to them, then we will approach the Government of India and seek appropriate action against the concerned police officers and officials in the ministry,” he said.
The Commission’s intervention follows a series of reports raising concerns over the availability and monetisation of content involving minors on Meta-owned platforms.
The controversy first gained prominence after a BBC investigation in July alleged that Instagram in India was carrying advertisements apparently promoting child sexual abuse material. Some of the advertisements reportedly contained terms such as “rape video” and redirected users to Telegram channels allegedly selling such content. Meta had then reiterated its “zero-tolerance” policy towards child sexual exploitation.
Subsequently, a WIRED investigation claimed that Meta had approved and displayed multiple paid advertisements featuring AI-generated child sexual abuse material and sexually suggestive images involving minors across Facebook, Instagram, Messenger and Threads. The report further stated that advertisements for AI-powered “nudify” tools, capable of generating sexually explicit images, were also found on the company’s platforms.
Facing growing pressure, Meta chief Mark Zuckerberg recently apologised for the presence of child sexual abuse material, deepfake content and other operational failures across the company’s platforms after senior Meta executives met Union IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, IT Secretary S Krishnan and other government officials.
Meta has maintained that sexual exploitation of children is “horrific” and that it aggressively detects and removes such content. The company has also said that several of the advertisements highlighted in recent investigations had limited reach and that it has strengthened its AI-powered systems to detect and block policy-violating advertisements before they are published.
The NHRC’s latest action is likely to intensify regulatory scrutiny of Meta in India, with both the platform’s content moderation mechanisms and the response of law enforcement agencies now under official examination.
