A BBC World Service investigation has found that Instagram displayed paid advertisements promoting child sexual abuse material (CSAM) to users in India, despite Meta’s advertising policies prohibiting content that exploits or endangers children.
According to the investigation, the advertisements contained phrases such as “rape video” and “child video”, directing users to Telegram channels where abusive material was allegedly sold for as little as ₹99. The BBC identified around 30 unique advertisements, with some promoted by multiple accounts.
Unlike regular social media posts, advertisements on Instagram undergo a review process before publication. Meta says this process relies primarily on automated systems that evaluate images, videos, text, links and audience targeting, while uncertain cases are escalated for human review.
To test the platform’s response, BBC journalists reported one of the advertisements through Instagram’s reporting system. Twenty-four hours later, Meta responded that the advertisement did not violate its Community Standards and left it online. Only after the BBC contacted the company directly for comment did Meta disable several advertisements, suspend the accounts responsible and block additional URLs linked to similar content.
Responding to the investigation, Meta described child exploitation as a “horrific crime” and said it works aggressively to remove such content from its platforms. The company acknowledged that “no system is perfect” and stated that its review process may not detect every policy violation. It added that it reports apparent cases of child exploitation to the US-based National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), in line with legal requirements.
The investigation also drew attention to Telegram, where many of the advertisements redirected users. Telegram said it had removed more than 274,000 groups and channels related to child sexual abuse material during 2026, although the BBC reported that one of the channels it identified continued operating after being reported.
The findings have prompted renewed scrutiny of automated moderation systems, particularly as Meta has increased its reliance on artificial intelligence to review advertisements and content across its platforms. The BBC’s investigation also raised broader questions about platform accountability, given that advertising is one of Meta’s primary sources of revenue and paid advertisements are expected to undergo stricter review than ordinary user-generated posts.
The BBC said it has reported the advertisements and associated Telegram channels to the relevant Indian authorities. Child safety advocates and legal experts have called for stronger oversight of online advertising systems and closer cooperation between technology platforms and law enforcement agencies to prevent the promotion and distribution of child sexual abuse material.
Source: BBC
