IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Friday directed officials in his ministry to summon Meta over Instagram advertisements allegedly promoting child sexual abuse material, sources said.
The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) will seek an explanation from Meta over the issue, they added.
This is the second time this week that the government has taken action against Meta.
On Wednesday, the Centre issued a notice to the company over WhatsApp's planned username feature, citing concerns that it could significantly increase online fraud, phishing, digital arrest scams and impersonation attacks.
It directed WhatsApp to pause the rollout of the feature until consultations on the issue are completed "to the satisfaction of the Government".
The Centre also asked Meta to explain why action should not be initiated under the Information Technology Act and related rules over WhatsApp's proposed feature, which it said could lead to an increase in cybercrime.
The government further reminded Meta that WhatsApp, as a significant social media intermediary, is required to comply with due diligence obligations under the Information Technology Act and its rules.
(With inputs from PTI)
