Meta apps displayed ads that contained AI-generated CSAM
Researchers identified more than 50 ads on Meta properties that violated the company's policies on child sexual abuse material.
A new report from Wired has revealed that Meta, the parent company of Facebook, Threads, Messenger, and Instagram, displayed advertisements containing AI-generated child sexual abuse material (CSAM). The study, conducted by researchers from the Tech Transparency Project (TTP), identified over 50 such ads that violated Meta's policies and were hosted on the company's platforms.
These ads featured sexually suggestive images of children and reached thousands of accounts, running across Facebook, Threads, Messenger, and Instagram. The ads, which were posted between November 2025 and August 2026, contained explicit content and linked to nudify or undressing apps. Meta's ad approval process is designed to prevent such content, but it relies on automated tools, potentially allowing these ads to slip through.
The company stated that they take sexual exploitation seriously and have taken steps to improve their systems for detecting and blocking such ads. However, this incident adds to a series of recent advertising issues Meta has faced, including the BBC reporting on Instagram's ads promoting CSAM in India and a lawsuit by the Consumer Federation of America over scam ads on Meta's platforms.
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