San Francisco Orders Meta to Stop ‘Allowing’ AI Child Abuse Ads
The City Attorney’s Office has asked Meta to explain how the harmful ads repeatedly ran on Facebook and Instagram. The company claims the ads are not under the city’s jurisdiction.
San Francisco's city attorney, David Chiu, has demanded that Meta cease running AI-generated child abuse advertisements across its platforms. These ads, discovered by researchers at the Tech Transparency Project (TTP), transformed still images of minors into short video clips depicting sexual acts. When clicked, the ads directed users to download AI image and video generation apps that could be used to create non-consensual intimate imagery.
Meta claims there is no indication these ads were shown in San Francisco, stating they fall outside the city's jurisdiction. However, Chiu argues that Meta's ad policies and safety systems are inadequate, and the company must take immediate action to address the problem. Meta maintains that all ads violate its policies and have been removed, with a spokesperson stating the total ad spend was under $5,000.
The city attorney's office demands that Meta cease the ads, explain how they avoided its moderation systems, and detail how it reports issues to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. The TTP findings suggest broader systemic issues with Meta's detection of potential child sexual abuse in advertising and raise significant legal questions for the company.
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