Meta ads with child sexual abuse imagery
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The gist
Meta ran 300+ paid ads with child sexual abuse imagery, TTP found.
The case fuels US and European pushes to regulate AI content and ad review.
Background
A Tech Transparency Project investigation found that Meta approved and monetized more than 300 ads containing child sexual abuse material (CSAM) on Facebook and Instagram between November 2025 and August 2026. Many ads promoted AI image- and video-editing apps that implied users could view or create such material, and some used real photos of children. The findings follow earlier reporting by WIRED on about 50 CSAM ads, and researchers say the problem persisted even after Meta rolled out new AI detection tools.
How it unfolded
- Nov 2025According to TTP, Meta began approving and monetizing ads containing AI-generated child sexual abuse material.
- Feb–Mar 2026TTP identified CSAM ads that ran during these months, including one showing a girl in a sexual position with overlay text 'I can show you more.'
- Jul 2026TTP reported that Meta had shown thousands of sexually suggestive ads for nudification apps.
- Aug 2026WIRED reported about 50 ads on Facebook, Instagram, and Threads directly containing CSAM; Meta removed them and said most predated new AI detection tools.
- Aug 2026Researchers found more than 250 additional CSAM ads across Meta platforms since the start of August, including some identical to those Meta had removed.
- Sep 1, 2026Meta had removed about half the offending ads from its ad library, TTP said.
- Sep 8, 2026TTP shared its findings with WIRED; Meta removed about 150 ads and updated more than 100 others to reflect child-exploitation violations.
- Sep 9, 2026Reports said Meta continued running dozens of CSAM ads in India despite a government order two months earlier to remove such content.
Who’s saying what
- Researchers
- TTP Director Katie Paul said Meta claims a hard stance against CSAM but took a week or more to respond to reports and often declined to take images down, saying they didn't violate Meta standards.
- Official
- US Senator Mark Warner said it is disappointing that Meta continues to run ads featuring child sexual abuse material and nonconsensual intimate images after it was brought to their attention, and sent CEO Mark Zuckerberg a letter that has not been replied to.
- Expert
- Internet Watch Foundation communications director Emma Hardy said AI apps are making it far too easy to create realistic criminal imagery of child sexual abuse, creating the new risk of everyday photos of children being transformed into sexual content.
- Meta
- Meta said most of the abusive ads had been published before it rolled out new AI tools designed to better detect and block harmful ads.
Still unverified
Meta's statement that most abusive ads predated its new AI detection tools is a company claim; researchers say the system does not appear entirely effective. The exact number of ads, their reach, and whether Meta undercounts CSAM violations remain disputed. Some ads were tied to fake Facebook accounts and Chinese advertising resellers, but those links are based on researcher findings and have not been independently confirmed.