A report shows Meta still runs ads for child sexual abuse material on Instagram in India, targeting several cities across the app’s online feed and stories.

Key findings

A report said Meta continues to run ads promoting child sexual abuse material in India.

The report follows an investigation that found Instagram ran paid ads promoting such material in India.

The report also noted that the ads appeared to target users in multiple Indian cities and were displayed within the app’s feed and story sections.

Meta has previously stated it removes content that violates its community standards, but the report indicates the ads persisted despite repeated removal requests.

Company response

Meta did not provide a comment when contacted about the findings.

Industry experts said the case highlights gaps in automated content moderation and the difficulty of policing paid advertising on large platforms.

Regulatory bodies in India are reviewing the report to determine whether further action is required under existing advertising and content laws.