NHRC seeks Meta ad, payment details over alleged sexual content

In an order dated Aug 13, NHRC took cognisance of a complaint alleging that pornographic sexually explicit material was being promoted through paid advertising on Meta platforms

by e4m Staff
Published: Aug 14, 2026 6:24 PM | 2 min read

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has requested information from Meta regarding the promotion of sexually explicit content on its platforms, including Facebook and Instagram, following a complaint about paid advertising practices.
Meta has been given seven days to provide details on involved advertisers, payment records, targeting parameters, and the reach of the promoted content, as well as information on content approval processes.
The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has been tasked with assessing whether Meta's advertising practices violate the Information Technology Act and reporting on preventive measures against unlawful content monetization.
Gurugram Police are directed to investigate the allegations through their cyber-crime unit and file an FIR if evidence of a cognizable offense is found, amid heightened scrutiny of Meta's content moderation in India.

The National Human Rights Commission has sought details from Meta on advertisers, payments and targeting linked to the alleged paid promotion of sexually explicit content across its platforms, while asking the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology and Gurugram Police to submit action-taken reports.

In an order dated August 13, the NHRC took cognisance of a complaint alleging that pornographic and sexually explicit material was being promoted through paid advertising and other amplification tools on Meta platforms, including Facebook and Instagram. The commission has given Meta, MeitY and Gurugram Police seven days from receipt of the notice to respond.

Meta has been asked to provide details of the accounts and advertisers allegedly involved, payment records, targeting parameters and the reach of the promoted material. The commission has also sought information on the human and automated checks applied before the advertisements were approved, and an explanation of how the content was allowed to be paid for, promoted or boosted.

The company has also been directed to preserve relevant digital records.

MeitY, meanwhile, has been asked to examine whether the alleged use of Meta’s advertising and promotional tools violates provisions of the Information Technology Act and to report on measures being taken to prevent unlawful material from being monetised or amplified online.

The Gurugram Police has been directed to investigate the allegations through its cyber-crime unit and register an FIR if it finds evidence of a cognisable offence.

The development comes amid increased scrutiny of Meta’s content-moderation and advertising systems in India. The government has separately questioned the company over allegations involving child sexual abuse material on Instagram and how paid advertisements linked to such material passed through Meta’s review systems.

The NHRC said the latest matter should be treated with “utmost urgency”, with potential provisions of the IT Act, POCSO Act and Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita coming into play depending on the findings.