Meta Platforms, Inc. is facing government inquiries in India and scrutiny from researchers after reports revealed the company ran hundreds of paid advertisements containing child sexual abuse material (CSAM) on Facebook and Instagram.
Meta Under Fire for Running Ads Promoting Child Sexual Abuse Material
Indian Government Launches Formal Inquiry
The National Commission for the Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) has summoned the Head and Managing Director of Meta India to appear on September 9. This summons follows a formal inquiry launched by the Commission to establish the facts regarding advertisements allegedly linked to Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse Material (CSEAM), according to NDTV.
The NCPCR took suo motu cognisance of a BBC Eye investigation which alleged that Instagram ran paid ads in India promoting child sexual abuse material. The report stated these adverts used phrases such as “child video” and “rape video,” directing users to Telegram channels where material could allegedly be purchased for as little as Rs 99. While Instagram ads typically require approval from moderation technology, the BBC reported that when one such ad was flagged, the platform responded a day later claiming the post did not violate its community guidelines.
Parallel to the NCPCR’s actions, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has directed the Delhi Police to investigate these allegations. The NHRC is specifically examining whether Meta met its mandatory reporting obligations under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.
AI-Generated Abuse and Chinese Ad Partners
A separate investigation by the Tech Transparency Project (TTP) found that Meta ran more than 300 paid ads containing CSAM this year. The majority of these ads utilized AI to digitally alter photos of children to make it appear they were performing sex acts. TTP identified photos of real children used in these ads, including a minor member of a European royal family who was animated into a video performing a graphic sex act.
The investigation revealed that the vast majority of these ads promoted AI apps from China, many of which were capable of “nudifying” people. TTP found that several of these ads were placed by Meta’s own advertising partners in China, including a state-controlled company. These partners operate through a system that allows Meta to access the Chinese ad market despite its platforms being banned within China.
Moderation Failures and Adversarial Tactics
The TTP report notes that after the findings were shared with Meta, the company performed a rapid clean-up operation,
removing approximately 150 visible ads from its Ad Library and updating records for over 100 other removed ads to mark them as violations of child exploitation policies. However, TTP found that Meta continued to run dozens of CSAM ads—including the one featuring the European royal—in the days following the cleanup.
David Pham, a former Meta employee who investigated abuse on the platforms, told WIRED that uploaders constantly evolve their tactics to bypass safety systems. Pham stated that whenever investigators build a new detection model, uploaders often find a way to avoid detection within one to five days by blurring imagery, subtly changing images, or changing domains.
Meta has stated that malicious advertisers use adversarial tactics to avoid detection and that the company has incorporated the language highlighted by WIRED into its moderation systems.
Industry Safety Stakes
These findings emerge as Meta attempts to position itself as a leader in child safety. Following a multi-billion-dollar settlement with state attorneys general regarding social media addiction, Meta has urged competitors like TikTok and YouTube to adopt the same teen safety features it has pledged to implement.
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