In a shocking revelation by the BBC Eye investigation, Instagram has been found to run paid advertisements promoting child sexual abuse material in India. These ads, which include terms such as "rape video" and "child video," direct users to Telegram channels where they can purchase the content for a minimal fee. Despite Instagram's claims that all ads are reviewed before publication, the social media platform responded 24 hours later to the BBC's report of one such ad, stating it did not violate community guidelines. However, Meta, Instagram's parent company, later claimed to have disabled several ads and suspended the accounts posting them following the BBC's findings. The investigation was sparked when the BBC set up an alias account on Instagram due to concerns about sexually suggestive content, which led to the appearance of advertisements featuring adult pornography and child sexual abuse material within a week. Telegram has also reportedly removed over 274,000 groups and channels related to child sexual abuse material in 2021. The distribution of both child sexual abuse material and adult pornography is a criminal offense in India, while Meta's policy states that ads must not contain such content. The BBC has reported all the ads and Telegram channels to the Indian authorities. This incident raises concerns about the effectiveness of Instagram's moderation technology and its commitment to protecting users from harmful content. Advertisements are a significant source of income for Meta, with almost 98% of its $200bn revenue for the financial year ending 2025 coming from advertising. This development underscores the urgent need for social media platforms to strengthen their policies and mechanisms to prevent the dissemination of child sexual abuse material online.