Meta said it took action on 5.3 million pieces of child sexual exploitation content across Facebook and Instagram in India from January through June 2026, highlighting the scale of its enforcement as it adds checks for ads that may direct users elsewhere.
The company said more than 98% of the content was found and addressed before users reported it. Meta described the total as content it had “actioned”; that wording does not establish that every item was removed.
Meta said it had added artificial intelligence (AI) screening that examines ad language and the websites ads lead to, looking for promotions that may connect users with illegal material beyond its platforms.
India’s Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) said July 22 it had sought a detailed report from the relevant intermediary after reports alleged links between social-media ads and child sexual abuse material. The ministry also said the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) had issued notices to social-media platforms.
Meta India head Arun Srinivas told Moneycontrol in a Nov. 12 interview that bad actors can use ordinary-looking promotions to send users to outside websites and apps, where Meta has less oversight. He said Meta has “zero tolerance” for abuse-related activity.
Srinivas also said Meta hoped to launch its Muse AI agent in India in 2027 and called the launch a priority, while the rollout strategy remained under discussion. Meta introduced Muse in September 2026 as a personal AI agent available through the Muse app and WhatsApp. The company says it can work across apps and seeks user approval for sensitive actions, including sending email or making a purchase. Meta’s announcements and Srinivas’ interview did not specify an India launch date.
Moneycontrol reported that WhatsApp Pay’s transaction volume and value had nearly doubled over the previous year. It said the service accounted for 0.8% of September 2026 transaction volume on the Unified Payments Interface (UPI), while PhonePe and Google Pay together represented nearly 78% of that volume.
The National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) recorded 24.07 billion UPI transactions worth ₹29.37 trillion in September. NPCI removed WhatsApp Pay’s user-onboarding limit on Dec. 31, 2024, allowing the service to extend UPI to its full user base in India.
