Meta Deploys AI Tools to Combat Child Sexual Exploitation

Meta actioned 33.2 million pieces of child sexual exploitation content across Facebook and Instagram globally between January and June 2026. In India, the company removed 5.3 million such pieces, with over 98 percent identified proactively before being reported.

To counter predators using signposting—the use of benign advertisements to direct users to external illegal material—the company deployed large language model-based detection and AI-driven sweeps. Meta also implemented a red-teaming AI agent to test safety defenses and upgraded ad review systems to block links to violative external content.

These technical updates follow a July notice from India's Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, which summoned global executives and warned that Meta could lose its safe harbour intermediary immunity if it failed to take greater responsibility for child abuse material. In response, Meta agreed to report child safety cases directly to the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal operated by the Indian Cybercrime Coordination Centre.