Meta Ran 300-Plus Ads Containing AI-Generated Child Sexual Abuse Material, Some Using Real Children's Photos

A Tech Transparency Project investigation published September 8 found that Meta ran more than 300 paid advertisements containing child sexual abuse material (CSAM) across Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, and Threads between November 2025 and August 2026, with some ads featuring AI-manipulated images of real children, including prominent teenage influencers and a member of a European royal family. Researchers identified 332 advertisements containing CSAM that made it through Meta's advertising review process. Most involved photographs of children that were digitally manipulated with AI to depict sexual activity, and researchers identified multiple instances in which photographs of real children were used. Nearly 80 percent of the identified advertisements ran in the United States.

According to the TTP investigation, nearly 80 percent of the CSAM ads (262) ran in the U.S., 84 ran in India (including 78 that ran after Meta was ordered by the Indian government to remove Instagram ads promoting CSAM), and 120 of the ads ran in Australia. TTP believes that the majority of the CSAM ads were created by AI-image and AI-video generation apps created by Chinese developers, while two of the ad resellers were identified as Guandong Advertising Group Co. Meta removed about 150 ads after TTP shared its findings and updated more than 100 others to reflect child-exploitation violations, but researchers continued finding dozens of CSAM-containing ads in the days afterward.

Meta has previously stated that it takes a zero tolerance approach to child exploitation. The investigation comes after a July 2026 BBC report found Instagram had run advertisements promoting CSAM in India. In April 2026, the Consumer Federation of America sued Meta for failing to deal with scam ads on its platforms. India's National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) summoned Meta India's managing director on September 9 over the allegations, with a hearing scheduled for September 9 involving the N

Sources

Sources: MediaPost, Manila Times, Engadget, WinBuzzer, Globe Newswire, SFist, Social News XYZ, thetechedvocate.org, Time News. Tech Transparency Project investigation published September 8, 2026. BBC report July 2026. NCPCR summons September 9, 2026. Quotes verified across outlets.