Government Directive to Meta’s Instagram on CSAM
The Central government has mandated Meta’s Instagram to eliminate advertisements and content promoting child sexual abuse material (CSAM). This directive came through the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (Meity).
- Notice Issued:
A notice was sent to Meta requesting a detailed explanation of the presence of CSAM content within seven days. - Government Stance:
The IT ministry, led by Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, has taken a strong stance, summoning Meta executives for clarification after reports surfaced of ads promoting CSAM on Instagram. - Meta’s Response:
Instagram and Meta affirm a zero-tolerance policy towards CSAM. They utilize advanced AI technology to detect and mitigate such content but acknowledge challenges due to the vast user base of 3.5 billion.
Previous Concerns and Actions
- Prior Notice:
This is the second notice in a fortnight, following concerns over WhatsApp’s proposed username feature. - WhatsApp Username Feature:
Meta was asked to hold off on implementing this feature due to potential misuse for cybercrime, impersonation, and scams.- WhatsApp explained that the feature requires a phone number and includes defenses against scams and impersonation.
- The government articulated concerns on how the feature could be exploited by cybercriminals.
