Meta Tightens Child Safety Measures After India Seeks Explanation Over Instagram CSAM Ads

Meta has detailed its efforts to combat child sexual exploitation after the Indian government sought an explanation over reports that advertisements promoting Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM) appeared on Instagram. In a statement, the company described child exploitation as a horrific crime and said it continues to invest heavily in artificial intelligence, human reviewers, and partnerships with law enforcement agencies and child safety organisations to identify and remove abusive content across its platforms.

The company revealed that it removed nearly 4 million accounts and 36 million pieces of child exploitation-related content worldwide during the first half of 2026. In India, around 1.6 lakh accounts were disabled for violating child safety policies. Meta said its advertising review process combines AI-powered detection with human oversight to prevent policy violations and reiterated its zero-tolerance approach towards child exploitation. The company added that it will continue strengthening its safety systems, enhancing ad review processes, and working closely with governments and global agencies to protect young users.