Meta Profited from AI-Generated Child Abuse Advertisements

Meta Platforms Inc. approved and profited from dozens of paid advertisements containing AI-generated child sexual abuse material between November 2025 and August 2026. An investigation by the Tech Transparency Project uncovered over 50 violating ads in Meta's public Ad Library, which promoted sexually explicit content and nudifying services to users in the United States, the United Kingdom, and several European countries.

Some advertisements remained active after Meta was confronted, while others appeared after the company was alerted. This follows a July 2026 BBC investigation that found Instagram running similar ads in India that directed users to Telegram channels. In response to that probe, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology of India summoned Meta and ordered the removal of the material.

Meta described its review process as robust and stated it removed 36 million pieces of child exploitation content last year. However, researchers noted that removed content frequently reappeared. Apple Inc. responded to the findings by removing the MaskAI app from its App Store.