New Delhi: The Centre will summon Meta to seek an explanation over allegations that advertisements promoting child sexual abuse material (CSAM) appeared on Instagram, sources in the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) said on Friday.

According to sources, IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has directed ministry officials to issue a notice to the company and seek a detailed explanation. The move marks the second time this week that the government has taken action against Meta.

On Wednesday, the Centre issued a notice to the company over WhatsApp’s proposed username feature, expressing concern that it could significantly increase online fraud, phishing, digital arrest scams and impersonation attacks.

The government directed Meta to pause the rollout of the feature until consultations with the government are completed to its satisfaction. It also asked the company to explain why action should not be initiated under the Information Technology Act and related rules, while reminding Meta that WhatsApp, as a significant social media intermediary, is required to comply with due diligence obligations under Indian law.

The latest action follows a recent BBC investigation that alleged Meta’s recommendation algorithm promoted videos containing child sexual abuse material, highlighting serious shortcomings in the platform’s safeguards.

The investigation also claimed that advertisements linked to such content appeared on Facebook and Instagram despite Meta’s advertising policies prohibiting nudity and sexually explicit material.

Meta had not responded to requests for comment on either the BBC investigation or the government’s proposed action at the time of publication.