Meta ran 250 AI child abuse ads since August, researchers say

September 8, 2026 at 05:00 PM2 min

This digest was compiled by AI from multiple sources — links to the originals are below.

Meta has run more than 250 ads containing child sexual abuse material across Facebook, Instagram, and Threads since early August, according to researchers at the Tech Transparency Project. The ads included images of real children, including a minor from a European royal family. Meta removed the ads after they were reported, but some remained live for up to a week.

Key Facts

More than 250 ads containing child sexual abuse material ran on Meta platforms since the start of August, according to the Tech Transparency Project.
The ads included images of real children, including a minor from a European royal family whose official photograph was turned into a graphic sex act video.
Meta has published more than 350 abusive video ads since the end of last year, many linking to nudification apps developed by Chinese companies.
Some reported ads remained live for up to a week, during which they gained hundreds more views.

Scale of Abuse

Researchers at the nonprofit Tech Transparency Project identified more than 250 additional ads containing child sexual abuse material on Meta platforms since the start of August. The new ads included images of real children, unlike the 53 ads initially discovered by TTP researchers. One ad transformed an officially released photograph of a minor from a European royal family into a video of a graphic sex act. Meta has published more than 350 abusive video ads since the end of last year, many linking to nudification apps developed by Chinese companies.

Meta's Response

Meta removed the ads after they were reported for violating its policies on child exploitation, adult exploitation, and nudity. In some instances, it took Meta a week to review live ads reported for containing child sexual abuse material. During that time, the ads gained hundreds more views, according to screenshots seen by WIRED. Meta said most of the abusive ads had been published before it rolled out new AI tools designed to better detect and block harmful ads.