NCPCR to probe Meta over child sexual abuse material advertisements

The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) has decided to institute an inquiry into Meta Platforms over advertisements linked to child sexual exploitative and abuse material (CSEAM) on its platforms.

The decision follows a notice issued by the commission to Meta on July 3 after it took suo motu cognisance of a BBC Eye investigation that alleged the presence of advertisements related to child sexual abuse material.

In its notice, the NCPCR sought a detailed explanation from the company regarding the allegations and the safeguards in place to prevent such content from appearing on its platforms.

Meta submitted its response to the commission about a week later.

After examining the company's reply, the NCPCR has decided to initiate a formal inquiry to ascertain the facts of the case, according to information shared by the commission.

The inquiry will examine the circumstances surrounding the advertisements, Meta's content moderation mechanisms, and the measures taken by the company to detect and prevent the dissemination or promotion of child sexual exploitative and abuse material.