--- title: "Meta Caught Running Ads for Child Abuse" description: "According to a shocking BBC investigation, Instagram has been profiting off of paid adverts that promote child sexual abuse material in India." date: "2026-07-12" modified: "2026-07-12" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/future-society/meta-running-ads-child-abuse" categories: - "Artificial Intelligence" - "Future Society" - "Meta" --- # Meta Caught Running Ads for Child Abuse ![A stylized image of the Meta Logo on the exterior of a glass building.]() *Illustration by Tag Hartman-Simkins / Futurism. Source: Skorzewiak / Shutterstock* For [many years now](), child sexual abuse material (CSAM) has [run rampant]() on Meta's platforms. The Mark Zuckerberg-led company has been accused of trying to [underplay]() the severity of the issue and even [purposefully dismantle child safety guidelines](). And the situation is only getting worse. According to a shocking new [*BBC* investigation](), Instagram has been profiting off paid adverts that promote CSAM in India, a shocking revelation that [highlights glaring holes]() in Meta's efforts to get ahead of the problem. Earlier this year, Meta [announced]() it was trying to reduce its reliance on third party human moderators by — you guessed it — switching to AI. But considering the latest news, these systems are seemingly inadequate to stem a tidal wave of deeply disturbing content on its platforms. Some of the incriminating ads reviewed by the *BBC* include terms like "rape video" and "child video" and link the platform's users to shadowy Telegram channels, where the material can be bought for as little as $1. The shocking revelation has sent shockwaves through the country's government. Over the weekend, Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology issued a notice to Meta, calling it to immediately disable all ads and content that promote the sale of CSAM. According to [Indian broadcaster ]()*[DD News]()*, the ministry is giving Meta until July 11 to provide a "detailed explanation." After the *BBC* reached out to Meta for comment, the company claimed to have disabled several adverts and suspended any associated accounts for violating its policies. A Meta spokesperson argued that "no system is perfect, and our review process may not detect all policy violations." "We continue to run proactive detection technology on ads once they're live, and anyone can report an ad to us that they think breaks our rules," the spokesperson told the *BBC*. Telegram also told the British broadcaster it had removed "more than 274,000 groups and channels related to child sexual abuse material in 2026." Former Facebook vice president Brian Boland argued that Instagram's algorithms were designed to maximize profit. "I think what's sad and tragic is over time, the trade-off of revenue and user experience became a more core part of the conversation," he told the *BBC*. Boland testified against Meta in a trial that saw a [New Mexico jury find the company guilty]() of misleading users over the safety of its platforms for children. The jury concluded in March that Meta had allowed the proliferation of CSAM, turning its platforms into marketplaces for child sex trafficking. "Meta executives knew their products harmed children, disregarded warnings from their own employees, and lied to the public about what they knew," said New Mexico’s attorney general Raúl Torrez in a statement at the time. "Today the jury joined families, educators, and child safety experts in saying enough is enough." With 1.9 million reports of CSAM on a leading tipline, India is only second to the United States. And children's rights advocacy groups warn that plenty of crime is still falling through the cracks. **More on CSAM:** [*While Meta Stuffs AI Into All Its Products, It’s Apparently Helpless to Stop Perverts on Instagram From Publicly Lusting Over Sexualized AI-Generated Children*]() ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()