Mark Zuckerberg-owned Meta is under fresh scrutiny in India after the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) launched an inquiry into allegations of ads linked to Child Sexual Exploitative and Abuse Material (CSEAM).
The commission took action on its own after a BBC Eye investigation claimed that some Instagram ads used phrases linked to child sexual abuse content and directed users to Telegram channels where such material was reportedly being sold at low prices.
After issuing the notice, the NCPCR asked Meta to explain the allegations.
The US-based social media giant submitted its response about a week later. After examining the company’s reply, the NCPCR has now decided to institute a formal inquiry to determine the facts of the matter.
The inquiry is expected to examine the allegations in detail and assess whether any child protection norms or legal provisions were violated.
The commission will also determine the facts surrounding the reported advertisements.
As of now, the NCPCR has not publicly shared further details about the scope or timeline of the inquiry. Meta has also not made any fresh public statement following the decision to launch the probe.
Earlier today, Meity Secretary S Krishnan said that Meta executives will likely meet government representatives on August 5 and 6 to discuss legal and compliance issues, synthetically generated content and safeguards for content takedowns involving prominent personalities.
The development comes days after Facebook briefly removed a video posted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on action against exam paper leaks. Meta later blamed the incident on a technical error.
