Meta Allows Thousands of Pornographic Ads on Facebook and Instagram
In a shocking revelation, Meta, the parent company of social media giants Facebook and Instagram, allowed more than 3300 pornographic ads, some featuring AI-generated content, to run on its platforms in 2024.
The disturbing findings were uncovered in a report by AI Forensics, a European non-profit organization dedicated to investigating tech platform algorithms. The researchers also noted a glaring inconsistency in Meta’s content moderation policies, as similar explicit images were swiftly removed when posted as standard content on Instagram and Facebook, citing violation of Meta’s Community Standards.
Carolina Are, a researcher at Northumbria University’s Centre for Digital Citizens in the UK, expressed disappointment but not surprise at the report’s findings, citing previous research that highlighted double standards in content moderation, particularly related to sexual content.
The AI Forensics report focused on a subset of ads targeted at the European Union, revealing that the explicit ads predominantly aimed at middle-aged and older men promoted “dubious sexual enhancement products” and “hook-up dating websites”, reaching over 8.2 million impressions.
Are pointed out a broader double standard in content moderation, noting that tech platforms often censor content from women, femme-presenting individuals, and LGBTQIA+ users while allowing explicit ads targeting male audiences. This disparity extends to male and female sexual health products, with lingerie and period-related ads being removed while ads for products like Viagra are approved.
In addition to AI-generated imagery, the AI Forensics team uncovered audio deepfakes in some ads, where pornographic visuals were combined with digitally altered voices, such as actor Vincent Cassel’s voice, in ads for sexual enhancement medication.
A spokesperson for Meta stated, “Meta prohibits the display of nudity or sexual activity in ads or organic posts on our platforms, and we are removing the violating content that was shared with us.” The company emphasized its ongoing efforts to invest in tools and technology to identify and remove inappropriate content.
The report coincided with Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s announcement of discontinuing fact-checking teams in favor of crowd-sourced community notes, prompting concerns about the company’s approach to content moderation and user agency.
Carolina Are expressed apprehension about Meta’s decisions, suggesting that the company may be quick to suppress marginalized users while allowing questionable ads to circulate freely on its platforms.
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