How Instagram ads row underlines India’s problem with reporting child abuse material

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) in India has issued notices to the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB), and the Delhi Police over Instagram advertisements that allegedly used search terms like "rape video" and "child video" to direct users to Telegram channels offering child sexual abuse material (CSAM).

The NHRC has directed for an Action Taken Report to be sent to the Commission within two weeks. This issue highlights a larger problem in India's system of converting reports of child abuse material into prosecutions, with India receiving around 1.9 million CyberTipline reports in 2025, but only a fraction translating into police action.

The NHRC's order raises questions on whether statutory reporting obligations under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012, were complied with, and whether platforms whose AI systems actively shape content can continue to claim the legal protections available to intermediaries.

Brief written by urgent.news from The Indian Express's own syndicated text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.