Warning: This story contains descriptions of abuse
A concerning report by the Tech Transparency Project (TTP), based in Washington, reveals that
Meta has facilitated the dissemination of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) through hundreds of paid
advertisements, some of which were targeted in India, over the past ten months.
This revelation follows the Indian government’s directive two months ago, instructing
Meta to eliminate all advertisements and content related to CSAM on its platform,
specifically after a BBC Eye investigation uncovered similar abuses using paid promotions on
Instagram.
The TTP’s findings show that a staggering 332 adverts featuring CSAM appeared on Facebook and
Instagram, with the majority, totaling 274, surfacing just in August of this year.
In response to inquiries from the BBC, Meta asserted that it does not tolerate any form of
child exploitation, whether through real images or those generated by artificial intelligence. The company
emphasized its ongoing efforts to fortify detection methods to prevent such abuses.
The TTP report, released on Tuesday, also notes that the ads often manipulated images of real children,
including an individual from a European royal family, using AI technology. Alarmingly, many ads continued to
appear on Meta’s platforms even after the TTP notified the company of these illegal activities.
Of particular concern, 84 of these ads were specifically targeted at Indian users, with 78 of them being
published after the government’s directive to remove CSAM and its meetings with senior officials at
Meta.
Following the BBC investigation, various Indian agencies, including the National Commission for
Protection of Child Rights and the National Human Rights Commission, have initiated
reviews of the situation.
It is crucial to note that distributing CSAM is a criminal offense in India, and Meta policy
explicitly states that advertisements must not contain any material that sexually exploits or jeopardizes
children.
When queried about its compliance measures, Meta informed the BBC that it fulfills its
legal obligations by reporting incidents of child exploitation to the National Center for Missing
and Exploited Children (NCMEC), the main global reporting system for online crimes against
children.
However, Bhuwan Ribhu, founder of Just Rights for Children, a coalition of over 250
organizations dedicated to preventing violence against children in India, argues that these measures are
insufficient.
In light of the findings from the BBC investigation, Just Rights for Children has filed a
petition with the Supreme Court of India, requesting mandatory reporting and identification
protocols for social media platforms concerning those promoting CSAM.
Editor’s Take
The TTP’s findings underscore a serious vulnerability in how social media platforms manage potential child
exploitation, especially in regions with strict regulations. This situation calls for tech companies to reinforce
their safeguards and adhere to legal standards. For users and their families, this development highlights the
ongoing risks associated with online interactions, emphasizing the need for vigilance and accountability in
digital spaces.
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
