Meta rolls out AI tools to find ads that secretly lead users to CSAM and says it took action against 33.2M pieces of child exploitation content in H1 2026 (Lauren Forristal/TechCrunch)

Meta has introduced advanced AI tools and enhanced its ad review systems to tackle child sexual exploitation on Facebook and Instagram, addressing the growing sophistication of online predators. The company aims to detect and dismantle content that features child sexual abuse material (CSAM) or covertly directs users to such activity on external websites.In the first half of 2026, Meta took action on 5.3 million pieces of child sexual exploitation content on its platforms in India, with over 98% of the identified content dealt with before being reported.

Globally, Meta addressed 33.2 million pieces of such content during the same period, with more than 97% detected proactively.Predators have been exploiting ad placements to evade detection, creating seemingly harmless ads that lead to illicit material hosted elsewhere. Meta has broadened its investigations to detect related activity across its platforms, disable implicated accounts, and block associated off-platform links.

The company has introduced large language model-based detection to identify "signposting" in ads, where innocuous content may be used to direct users to illegal or harmful material.Meta has also improved its ability to assess the destination of ads, not just their visible content, enabling it to block dangerous destinations and take action against responsible accounts.

The company has deployed AI-driven sweeps to uncover child sexual exploitation content that earlier systems might have overlooked and designed a red-teaming AI agent to test its defenses and identify vulnerabilities that could be exploited by predators.Furthermore, Meta has strengthened its systems to detect repeat offenders attempting to create new accounts after being removed.

In India, the company plans to report child safety cases directly to the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal run by the Indian Cybercrime Coordination Centre (I4C), complementing its existing reporting of CSAM to law enforcement through the portal with the assistance of the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children.