San Francisco city attorney David Chiu ordered Meta to stop allowing AI-generated child abuse ads after discovering over 350 such ads ran on its platforms. The cease-and-desist letter, sent to Meta’s lawyers, demands the company explain how these ads bypassed its moderation systems and how it escalates reports to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC).
The ads, identified by researchers at the Tech Transparency Project (TTP), included some identical ads uploaded multiple times, reaching over 29,000 accounts in the European Union and targeting users in the US, Australia, and India. The letter claims the issues are not isolated and suggest broader systemic problems with Meta’s detection systems.
"No company—particularly one that claims all ads are reviewed and approved prior to distribution and then accepts payment for that distribution—should permit its advertising systems to be used in this manner," Chiu wrote in the four-page letter.
The city attorney’s office has reviewed many of the ads found by TTP researchers and is demanding Meta provide a response within 28 days.
"Meta has failed to address a known issue of AI-generated child sexually explicit ads, while profiting from them," Chiu said in a statement. The letter raises significant legal questions for Meta, emphasizing the need for systems that prevent children from being sexually exploited through ads the company is paid to distribute.
Meta claims there is "no indication" the ads were displayed in San Francisco and that they are "outside the city attorney's jurisdiction." However, the City Attorney’s Office spokesperson, Alex Barrett-Shorter, stated that San Francisco consumers can access the unlawful ads through Meta’s platforms, making it the city’s business.
Meta previously said many of the ads identified by TTP researchers had already been removed, with most having "fewer than 200 impressions." The company also stated the "total ad spend" for the 300-plus ads found by researchers was "under $5,000." Despite these actions, the letter suggests Meta’s isolated takedown efforts are woefully inadequate.
Source: wired
