NHRC seeks reports from Meta, MeitY over alleged use of children in political Instagram videos

India's National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has sought action-taken reports from Meta Platforms, the central government, and authorities in Etah, Uttar Pradesh. These requests follow allegations that adults repeatedly used minor children in scripted, politically charged social media videos.

The commission issued directives on September 28 after a complaint was filed by the Sewa Nyaya Utthan Foundation. The NHRC has instructed Etah police to identify the children involved, provide them with protection and counseling, and investigate the adults responsible for creating and circulating the videos.

Meta has been asked to explain how users repeatedly uploaded and circulated the content, what steps the company took to restrict or remove it, and whether the videos generated any commercial benefit. The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) is tasked with examining Meta's due diligence and child safety processes related to the content.

The complaint alleges that children, including those from vulnerable backgrounds, were prepared to repeatedly appear in videos uploaded via an Instagram account linked to Etah. The case raises concerns about the children's dignity, privacy, and psychological well-being, as well as whether their guardians provided informed consent.