The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) has initiated an inquiry into allegations concerning advertisements related to Child Sexual Exploitative and Abuse Material (CSEAM) on Meta’s platforms and has summoned the company’s India leadership for questioning.
The child rights body had taken suo motu cognisance of a media report by BBC Eye and issued a notice to Meta Platforms, Inc. on July 3, 2026, seeking an explanation from the social media company over the allegations.
Meta submitted its response to the NCPCR a week after receiving the notice. Following an examination of the company’s reply, the child rights commission has now decided to institute a formal inquiry to determine the facts of the matter.
As part of the inquiry, NCPCR has summoned the Managing Director and Head of Meta India to appear before the commission on September 9, 2026.
The summons marks the next step in the commission’s examination of the allegations and is aimed at establishing the facts and understanding Meta’s position on the matter.
The NCPCR’s decision to institute an inquiry comes after it sought an explanation from Meta following the BBC report. The commission is expected to examine the allegations and the company’s response as part of the proceedings.
The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) had directed the Delhi Police to conduct a comprehensive investigation into allegations that paid advertisements on Meta-owned Instagram promoted Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM) in India.
The human rights body also asked the police to examine whether Meta and other entities concerned had complied with mandatory reporting requirements under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.
The NHRC took suo motu cognisance of media reports published by the BBC alleging that advertisements on Instagram used specific expressions and redirected users to channels where child sexual abuse material was allegedly being offered for sale.
In a letter dated July 8, the NHRC directed the Commissioner of Police, Delhi, to conduct a comprehensive probe into the allegations and submit an Action Taken Report (ATR) to the Commission.
The inquiry was also expected to examine the compliance of Meta and other concerned entities with their obligations under the POCSO Act, particularly provisions relating to the reporting of offences involving children.
The Commission subsequently wrote to the Delhi Police again on July 29, seeking submission of the requisite report.
The latest communication underlines the NHRC’s continued monitoring of the matter and its efforts to ascertain the facts surrounding the alleged advertisements and the response of the concerned entities.
The allegations concern the use of Instagram advertisements to direct users towards channels allegedly offering CSAM, raising questions about child safety on social media platforms and compliance with India’s child protection laws.
