Police in India's capital have launched a formal investigation into US tech giant Meta over the presence of child sexual abuse material across its social media platforms.
Priyank Kanoongo, a member of the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) confirmed that Delhi Police registered a First Information Report (FIR) following explicit directions from the child rights body. The probe focuses on the availability of Child Sexual Exploitative and Abuse Material (CSEAM) on Meta-operated platforms in India, including Instagram.
The legal action follows heightened scrutiny of the social media giant after a BBC investigation revealed paid advertisements on Instagram that promoted child sexual abuse content. The report triggered immediate government intervention with Indian authorities directing Meta to remove all advertisements and accounts hosting or promoting such material.
Meta has yet to issue an official statement regarding the police investigation. However the following public outcry over the report and the company announced that it would report child safety violations directly to Indian law enforcement to combat online child exploitation.
Child safety advocates have welcomed the investigation also emphasizing that major social media platforms must enforce stricter content moderation and remain accountable to regional laws to protect minors online.
