Meta ran more than 50 paid ads containing explicit AI-generated child sexual abuse material (CSAM) and images of minors with sexually suggestive statements over the last nine months, according to Meta's ad library data shared with WIRED. Some of these ads appeared as recently as this week and targeted users in the United States, United Kingdom, and over a dozen European countries.
The ads were published across Meta's platforms including Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, and Threads. These image and video ads reached several thousand accounts in some cases. The discovery was made through analysis of Meta’s ad library, which tracks paid advertisements on its services. The company has not publicly detailed how these ads bypassed its content moderation systems.
This incident highlights ongoing challenges faced by major social media platforms in policing AI-generated content, especially material involving child exploitation. Meta’s platforms have previously faced scrutiny over harmful content moderation gaps. The presence of AI-generated CSAM in paid ads raises concerns about the effectiveness of automated detection tools and the potential for such content to spread widely before removal.
Meta’s ad library data confirms the ads ran over a nine-month period, with some still active this week. The platforms involved include Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, and Threads, reaching audiences in multiple countries. The company’s response and any policy changes following this revelation have not been disclosed as of this report.