Meta Approved and Ran Hundreds of AI-Generated CSAM Ads Over Nine Months Across Its Apps

A Tech Transparency Project investigation surfaced hundreds of paid ads containing AI-generated child sexual abuse material that Meta reviewed, approved and monetized between November 2025 and August 2026 across Facebook, Instagram, Threads and Messenger. Many linked to deepfake 'nudify' apps and some featured morphed images of real children. Meta said 'the majority of these ads had minimal reach and many were disabled' before Wired flagged them and attributed lapses to automated review.