Science TechnologyMonday, 6 July 2026·The Hindu - National
Meta notice on Instagram CSAM ads: IT Act, 2021 rules, and 24-hour takedown duties
The Centre in July 2026 asked Meta to disable Instagram ads linked to child sexual exploitative material and sought a reply within seven days.
Key highlights
Direct fact
In July 2026, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology issued a notice to Meta over Instagram advertisements linked to child sexual exploitative and abuse material (CSEAM), and asked for a detailed reply within 7 days.
Key specifics
- The notice was issued on Saturday after a directive from IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw.
- Meta said it has a “zero tolerance policy” for CSAM and claimed it uses technology to detect such ads among its 3.5 billion users.
- The IT Act, 2000 provides punishment for publishing or transmitting obscene material and sexually explicit acts in electronic form.
- The IT (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021 require intermediaries to remove such content within 24 hours.
- The Ministry of Home Affairs runs the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal and the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) for cybercrime complaints, especially against children.
Exam lens
Question type: IT Act and intermediary rules match-the-following; key facts: MeitY, Meta, Instagram, IT Act 2000, IT Rules 2021, 24 hours, 7 days, I4C. TNPSC may ask which law governs takedown duties for intermediaries.