BBC investigation finds Instagram profiting from ads promoting child sexual exploitation material in India

A BBC Eye investigation has revealed that Instagram displays ads connecting users to Telegram channels selling child sexual abuse videos, generating revenue for the platform.

• The BBC Eye investigation found that Instagram runs advertisements that promote child sexual exploitation material, linking users to Telegram where they can pay for abusive videos.
• Journalist Divya Arya contacted India’s cybercrime police and spoke to a former Meta executive and a retired judge who said the findings warranted intervention by India’s Supreme Court.
• Meta told the BBC it combats child exploitation on its platforms, removes ads that violate its policies, and reports such content to authorities.