Facebook Is Hosting Huge Numbers of Horrifying AI-Generated Videos of Violent Child Abuse, and Meta Is Barely Even Pretending to Care About Taking Them Down

Meta, the parent company behind Facebook and Instagram, is grappling with a troubling surge of AI-generated videos depicting violent child abuse. A recent investigation has revealed an alarming number of Facebook accounts uploading streams of horrific content, showcasing children enduring severe physical abuse ranging from slapping, kicking, and burning to chaining, starvation, and exposure to hazardous materials.

Despite Meta's vague policy on violence against children, the company has taken little action to remove these distressing videos, leaving them to proliferate unchecked on its platforms. Commentators on the videos, many of which garner thousands or even tens of thousands of reactions, are often unaware that the content is synthetic, with some even begging for more disturbing narratives to be shared.

Meta's spokesperson has offered a half-hearted response, claiming that the company has removed the offending videos, but providing no concrete evidence or details on the scale of action taken. The spokesperson's defense of the continued presence of these videos, arguing that many involve adults intervening after initial violence, is a weak attempt at deflecting responsibility for the company's lax moderation efforts.

Investigations revealed that Meta only removed a fraction of the reported accounts, with the process often taking days, and in some cases, initially rejecting reports before ultimately taking action. The company's failure to effectively combat this insidious content highlights the ongoing struggles Meta faces in controlling the proliferation of disturbing material on its platforms.