Meta says it is using AI to detect child sexual abuse content on Instagram and Facebook

Meta, the parent company of Instagram and Facebook, has announced it is leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance its ability to detect and address child sexual abuse material (CSAM) on its platforms. This move comes in response to criticism and legal pressure from the Indian government, following reports of CSAM appearing in ads on the social media platforms.

The company has implemented several strategies powered by AI to improve its detection capabilities. These include the use of large language models (LLMs) to identify CSAM, increased transparency around ad content through AI, AI-driven sweeps of ad content, a red-teaming AI agent to identify vulnerabilities, and detection of users who create new accounts after being previously removed.

The issue of CSAM on Instagram and Facebook came to light after media reports pointed out its presence on the platforms. In response, Meta agreed to share CSAM reports with Indian law enforcement authorities, in addition to reporting to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) in the United States.

In a recent press release, the company stated that between January and June 2026, Meta removed 5.3 million pieces of child sexual exploitation content from Facebook and Instagram in India. Over 98% of the identified content was found and dealt with before it could be reported.