Meta defends ad review after child abuse material on Instagram
Meta conceded its ad review process "may not catch every violation," days after a BBC investigation found Instagram running ads promoting child sexual abuse material. Indian authorities have issued a notice to the company.
Meta Platforms defended its ad review process as "robust" while acknowledging it "may not catch every violation" in a July 7 blog post. This statement followed a BBC Eye investigation that revealed Instagram was running paid advertisements promoting child sexual abuse material (CSAM) in India. The ads reportedly used terms like "rape video" and "child video" and linked to Telegram channels selling the material for as little as Rs 99.
The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) in India has issued Meta a seven-day notice to explain how the advertisements passed review and has directed Instagram to disable all such ads and content.
Meta's ad review process primarily relies on automated tools that scan images, video, text, and targeting information. Human review is escalated only when the software is uncertain. If the automated review is confident, the ad is published without human oversight. Ads can also be subject to re-review after they go live.
The BBC investigation highlighted process gaps that allowed the ads to run. The automated system reportedly matches ads against policies rather than comprehending content, and human review is triggered only in uncertain cases. Re-review occurs only after the ad is live. Even when automated systems flagged issues, human review was reportedly slow or provided incorrect assessments. Meta's own ad standards for child sexual exploitation are stricter than general community standards, yet these ads were approved.
The issue raises questions concerning India's IT Act's safe harbor provisions, which exempt intermediaries from liability for third-party content if they show due diligence. Meta's role in paid amplification and targeting of these ads, coupled with flawed human review, complicates its adherence to these provisions. India's IT Rules 2021 specifically address content transmitted for direct financial gain as a distinct category, further intensifying scrutiny on Meta's actions.