A report from the Washington-based Tech Transparency Project (TTP) has identified 332 advertisements containing AI-generated child sexual abuse material (CSAM) circulating on Meta’s platforms, including Facebook and Instagram. The findings indicate that these ads appeared in several countries, including the United States, the UK, Australia, and India, over the past 10 months.

According to the TTP, the majority of these advertisements—274 in total—were active in August. In India, 84 such ads were identified, with 78 appearing after the Indian government issued a formal directive to Meta to remove content promoting CSAM. The TTP noted that many of these advertisements utilized manipulated images of real children, including a member of a European royal family, to depict graphic sexual acts.

The research suggests that these ads often serve to promote third-party applications, frequently developed by Chinese firms, which allow users to generate non-consensual sexual imagery. The TTP reported that some of these ads were placed through Meta’s own advertising resellers in China.

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Meta stated that it does not tolerate child exploitation and continues to enhance its detection systems. A spokesperson for the company noted, "These criminals constantly shift tactics to evade detection, which is why we keep strengthening our detection and enforcement." The company added that it reports identified instances of exploitation to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) in accordance with its legal obligations.

However, the TTP reported difficulties with Meta’s internal reporting tools, noting that many of their submissions were initially rejected with claims that the content did not violate advertising standards. Bhuwan Ribhu, founder of the advocacy group Just Rights for Children, criticized the current approach, stating, "Social media companies are clearly flouting Indian laws by not reporting child sexual abuse content to Indian law enforcement agencies as mandated by our child protection laws."

The issue has prompted scrutiny from Indian authorities, including the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights. Meanwhile, legal action is underway in India, where a petition has been filed in the Supreme Court seeking mandatory reporting requirements for social media platforms regarding CSAM.

Source: BBC News