Instagram Ads Allegedly Promoting Child Sexual Abuse Material in India, BBC Investigation Finds

A BBC investigation has uncovered approximately 30 distinct advertisement campaigns on Instagram that promoted child sexual abuse material, with some being redistributed across multiple accounts.

The news outlet identified an alias account receiving around 20 advertisements featuring explicit adult pornography.

Distribution and promotion of child sexual abuse material and adult pornography constitute criminal activities under Indian law. Meta, Instagram’s parent company, enforces a strict content policy banning advertisements containing nudity, sexualized depictions of minors, or material that sexually exploits children. The BBC has formally reported these ads to Indian law enforcement and associated platforms such as Telegram.

Specific examples include an advertisement featuring two 12-year-olds engaged in explicit sexual activity. Another ad showcased a 52-year-old man with the text, “Click to watch more,” linking to a Telegram channel. Additional reports involved an ad displaying a young girl visibly distressed after being sexually assaulted. However, Instagram declined to remove the content within 24 hours, stating its moderation team determined the ad did not violate community standards.

Meta acknowledged the limitations of its review processes, stating, “No system is perfect, and our methods may not identify all policy violations.” The company emphasized its ongoing use of proactive detection technologies for live advertisements and reiterated that users can report suspected violations. In accordance with legal obligations, Meta forwards reports of child exploitation to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC), the global authority on such cases.

The BBC also documented the reporting of two Telegram channels facilitating the sale of child sexual abuse videos. One channel was subsequently removed and replaced with a message citing violations of Telegram’s terms of service, while the other remains active with new illicit material.

Industry observers criticize Instagram for insufficient measures to combat the dissemination of criminal content.

Meta clarified that it is not affiliated with the NCMEC or the Internet Watch Foundation, both of which partner with major platforms to combat online child exploitation.

Telegram stated that it employs hybrid automated and human moderation systems to mitigate child sexual abuse material, claiming significant success in preventing its proliferation on the platform.

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