The National Human Rights Commission taking cognisance of reports that paid advertisements on Meta’s platforms allegedly promoted access to child sexual abuse material is deeply disturbing. If such advertisements could pass through an automated or human review system, remain online and reportedly lead users towards channels offering illegal material, it raises serious questions about the effectiveness of the safeguards claimed by social media companies. The digital world cannot become a marketplace where criminal content is monetised simply because it is hidden behind algorithms, advertisements or private channels.
The NHRC’s decision to seek specific reports from the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology and the Delhi Police is therefore welcome. More importantly, the authorities must go beyond determining how the advertisements appeared online. They must establish who created and paid for them, who benefited financially, how the material was distributed and whether statutory reporting obligations under the POCSO Act were followed. The law places a clear duty on authorities and relevant actors when there is knowledge or suspicion of offences against children. Accountability cannot end with removing an advertisement after a media investigation exposes it.
The larger lesson is that child protection must take precedence over platform engagement, advertising revenue and technological convenience. Meta and other digital platforms must demonstrate that their content-moderation systems are capable of detecting and stopping such material before it reaches users, rather than relying on complaints after the damage is done. The government, too, must ensure that investigations result in prosecution, financial trails are followed and victims are identified and protected. Children cannot defend themselves against sophisticated online criminal networks; governments and technology companies must do it for them.