Meta published more than 350 video ads containing child sexual abuse material (CSAM) across Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, Threads, and its broader advertising network since late 2025, according to researchers at the nonprofit Tech Transparency Project (TTP), who shared their findings with WIRED ahead of publication in September 2026.
The ads followed a consistent pattern: an image of a preteen or teenage girl accompanied by text stating it is “not just a photo” and that there are “no restriction” on what can be done with the image. When played, the videos morphed children’s faces into graphic sexual content. The ads directed viewers to AI face-swapping and video apps available on Apple and Google’s app stores, with many carrying the tagline “This is the AI that men actually use.”
Among the more than 250 ads discovered since the start of August 2026, researchers identified content depicting a minor belonging to a European royal family — an officially released photograph transformed into a video of a graphic sex act. Researchers withheld the royal’s identity to protect the victim and said they contacted officials in the relevant country. WIRED independently confirmed the source image originated from an official royal family website.
Meta had previously removed around 50 such ads in early August following initial WIRED reporting, stating at the time that most predated new AI detection tools it had deployed. The new findings suggest those tools have not been effective. Many of the newly discovered ads were identical to ones Meta had already removed.
TTP says it reported the ads through Meta’s own reporting tools when they were live. In some cases, it took Meta a week to act, during which the ads accumulated hundreds of additional views. Many of the ads linked to “nudification” apps connected to Chinese developers.
All ads ran despite Meta’s stated policy of reviewing ads before they appear on its platforms. TTP director Katie Paul said the harm is compounded by the fact that real children’s images were sourced from the web and used in the content. Lawmakers have said they plan to investigate.
Source: WIRED