NHRC Issues Notice to Centre and Delhi Police Over Child Sexual Abuse Ads
The National Human Rights Commission has taken cognisance of reports alleging that paid advertisements on a social media platform promoted access to child sexual abuse material in India. The rights panel has issued notices seeking specific, point-wise reports within two weeks from the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, and the Delhi Police commissioner.
According to commission proceedings dated Wednesday, paid advertisements appearing on the social media platform used terms such as "rape video" and "child video" to redirect users to channels on a messaging platform where illicit content was allegedly made available. The complainant in the matter is the Namo Foundation.
The advertisements reportedly passed through Meta's internal review mechanism and remained accessible despite users flagging them through the company's grievance redressal channels. The material was removed only after it was specifically brought to Meta's attention by the BBC, the proceedings noted.
The NHRC stated that the allegations, if verified, raise serious concerns regarding online child sexual exploitation, the circulation and monetisation of child sexual abuse material, potential organised criminal activity, and failures in intermediary content moderation and child-safety protocols. The commission plans to examine whether Meta and other parties fulfilled mandatory reporting obligations, preserved critical evidence, and assisted law enforcement in rescuing and rehabilitating victims.
The panel directed the MeitY secretary to examine the situation and submit an action-taken report supported by contemporaneous records. It instructed the ministry to state clearly whether reporting mandates under Section 19 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012, were satisfied, and if not, to identify the authorities responsible.
Clarification was also sought from the I&B secretary regarding whether Meta falls under the regulatory scope of the Information Technology Rules, 2021, as a publisher or publisher of online curated content when generating, modifying, curating, recommending, or amplifying content via artificial intelligence or algorithmic systems.
Additionally, the NHRC gave the Delhi Police commissioner two weeks to provide an updated action-taken report. The police chief has been instructed to detail the specific actions taken in the case, including any information requested from or provided by Telegram, along with the subsequent measures initiated.
