Investigation into Child Sexual Exploitation on Instagram

Background

The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) summoned Meta officials for a hearing on allegations related to child sexual exploitation and abuse material (CSEAM) on Instagram. The investigation was prompted by a BBC report highlighting numerous ads linked to CSEAM on Instagram.

Key Findings

• BBC reported seeing dozens of ads promoting CSEAM using a test account on Instagram.
• Meta claimed that its systems had already disabled many of these ads and accounts before being notified.
• Despite Meta's efforts, automatic moderation systems fail to catch all violative content.
• The Tech Transparency Project (TTP) found hundreds of CSAM ads on Facebook and Instagram, some targeting Indian audiences.

Challenges with Moderation

• Meta's moderation labeled many CSEAM ads as adult content, potentially underreporting child sexual abuse instances.
• Ads from Chinese resellers were subject to less stringent enforcement, generating significant revenue for Meta.
• TTP found that Meta often did not take action even after human reporting of CSEAM ads.

Government and NCPCR Intervention

• NCPCR and the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) summoned Meta for explanations.
• Meta's response was provided in writing, but details were not disclosed due to ongoing investigations.
• NCPCR has the powers of a civil court to demand explanations on child safety issues from private organizations.

NCPCR's Role and Actions

• NCPCR's mandate includes protecting children in distress, marginalized children, juveniles, and children without family.
• The commission has previously acted against companies like Netflix and Mondelez for content and health-related issues.