New Delhi | Updated: July 3, 2026
The Central Government is set to summon Meta over alleged Instagram advertisements promoting child sexual abuse material, sources said on Friday.
According to sources, IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has directed officials in the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology to call Meta and seek an explanation on the matter.
The government is expected to question the company over how such advertisements appeared on Instagram and what steps were taken to detect, block, and remove such content from the platform.
This is the second time this week that the Centre has intensified scrutiny of Meta.
Earlier on Wednesday, the government issued a notice to Meta over WhatsApp’s planned username feature. The center raised concerns that the feature could increase online fraud, phishing, digital arrest scams, and impersonation attacks.
The government directed Meta to pause the rollout of the WhatsApp username feature until consultations are completed to its satisfaction.
The Centre also asked Meta to explain why action should not be initiated under the Information Technology Act and related rules over the proposed WhatsApp feature.
The latest move against Meta comes amid growing concerns over online safety, child protection, and the misuse of digital platforms for illegal content and cybercrime.
Officials said the IT Ministry is likely to seek details from Meta on its content moderation systems, ad review process, and safeguards to prevent harmful material from being promoted through paid advertisements.
