Instagram Approved Adverts Promoting Child Sexual Abuse Material, BBC Investigation Finds

A BBC Eye investigation has found that Instagram approved and displayed paid advertisements promoting child sexual abuse material (CSAM) to users in India, raising fresh concerns over Meta’s advertising moderation system and its ability to prevent illegal content from appearing on the platform.

The investigation revealed that some adverts contained explicit phrases and directed users to Telegram channels where child sexual abuse material was allegedly being sold. Although Meta says all advertisements undergo review before publication, the BBC reported that one advert it flagged was initially judged by Instagram not to have violated the platform’s community standards.

Following enquiries by the BBC, Meta removed the offending adverts, suspended the associated accounts and blocked related web links. The company acknowledged that no moderation system is perfect and said it continues to improve its detection technology while reporting suspected child exploitation to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC).

The investigation also found that Instagram’s recommendation algorithm gradually exposed a newly created account to increasingly explicit content, including advertisements depicting children in sexually suggestive situations linked to Telegram channels.

Meta insisted it does not knowingly promote such content and rejected suggestions that it prioritises advertising revenue over user safety. The company said it disabled more than four million suspicious accounts in 2025 and continues to invest in technology to detect and remove child exploitation material.

Telegram said it had removed hundreds of thousands of groups and channels linked to child sexual abuse material this year, although the BBC reported that at least one offending channel remained active during its investigation.

The findings have prompted renewed calls for stronger regulation of social media platforms. Former Indian Supreme Court Justice Madan Lokur described the revelations as deeply disturbing and urged authorities to take decisive action against platforms found facilitating criminal activity, while former Facebook executive Brian Boland criticised Meta’s engagement-driven algorithms, warning that inadequate safeguards could produce harmful outcomes.