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San Francisco Orders Meta to Stop ‘Allowing’ AI Child Abuse Ads
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- DeepHorus
San Francisco’s city attorney has issued a cease-and-desist letter to Meta, demanding the tech giant stop running paid advertisements that feature AI-generated child sexual abuse content. The legal action, announced on a Tuesday, stems from reports that Meta’s platforms have hosted over 350 such ads in recent months. This move intensifies scrutiny on how social media giants handle the proliferation of harmful AI-generated content.
The problematic ads were first brought to public attention by a report from WIRED and researchers at the Tech Transparency Project. These advertisements allegedly transformed still images of minors into short, sexually explicit video clips. Some images were of real individuals, including a member of a European royal family.
When clicked, the ads directed users to download AI image and video generation applications. Some of these apps purportedly allowed users to digitally undress individuals or create non-consensual intimate imagery. The ads, which appeared across Facebook, Instagram, and Threads, reached more than 29,000 accounts in the European Union, as well as users in the U.S., Australia, and India.
Critically, over 250 of these ads ran on Meta’s platforms after the initial report about the issue. This fact forms the core of City Attorney David Chiu’s complaint. He argues that Meta has failed to address a known problem and has profited from it, calling the company’s current efforts “woefully inadequate.”
In response, Meta has claimed the ads are outside San Francisco’s jurisdiction as there is “no indication” they were displayed in the city. The company also stated that most of the ads had been removed before being reported and that the total ad spend for the batch was under $5,000. However, Meta did confirm all identified ads have now been removed for policy violations.
A spokesperson for the City Attorney’s Office rejected Meta’s jurisdictional defense. They argued that because San Francisco consumers could access the unlawful ads online, the matter falls within the city’s purview. The office finds Meta’s response “astonishing,” stating the company seems more focused on challenging jurisdiction than addressing the exploitation of children.
The cease-and-desist letter demands that Meta immediately stop the ads and provide a detailed explanation. It seeks to understand how the ads repeatedly bypassed the company’s moderation and safety systems. The letter also requests “prompt discussions” with Meta’s legal, child-safety, and advertising staff.
This legal confrontation sets a significant precedent for holding tech companies accountable for the misuse of AI on their advertising platforms. It highlights the ongoing battle between regulatory authorities and global tech firms over content moderation, corporate responsibility, and the protection of minors in the digital age. The outcome could influence future policies and enforcement actions across the industry.
