Meta unveils AI tools to combat child exploitation after Indian government queries
Days after the Indian government sought an explanation over reports that advertisements promoting child sexual abuse material (CSAM) appeared on Instagram, Meta has detailed a range of measures it says help fight child exploitation on its platforms.
In a blog post on Tuesday, the social media giant described child exploitation as a 'horrific crime' and said it invests in artificial intelligence, human reviewers, and partnerships with law enforcement and child safety organisations to detect and remove abusive content. 'Child exploitation is a horrific crime and every day, we work aggressively to fight this kind of abuse both on and off our platforms,' the company said.
Meta stated that its AI systems proactively identify content linked to child exploitation, including known CSAM, grooming behaviour, and suspicious accounts. The company uses hash-matching technology to detect previously identified abusive images and videos, while machine learning tools help flag new or previously unseen content for review.
Meta revealed that it removed about 4 million accounts and 36 million pieces of content linked to child exploitation globally in the first half of 2026. In India alone, it disabled approximately 1.6 lakh accounts for violating its child safety policies during the same period.
The company also highlighted measures to disrupt networks that facilitate abuse, including removing accounts that attempt to contact minors for sexual purposes, sharing signals about offending accounts with other technology companies through industry programmes, and reporting relevant cases to the US-based National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC), which coordinates with law enforcement worldwide.
According to Meta, advertisements are reviewed using automated systems, with some also reviewed by human reviewers before approval. Its ad review systems are designed to detect policy violations, including attempts to promote or profit from child sexual exploitation. The company said it continues to strengthen these systems as bad actors evolve their tactics. 'We're committed to keeping bad actors off our platforms and are constantly evolving our systems to stay ahead of them,' Meta said.
The announcement comes amid heightened scrutiny in India after the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology reportedly issued a notice to Meta over Instagram advertisements allegedly promoting CSAM. The government directed the company to remove such content and explain how the ads were allowed.
Meta said it maintains a zero-tolerance approach towards child exploitation and works with governments, child safety experts, and other technology companies to enhance detection and enforcement. 'We will continue investing in every resource needed to keep young people safe, strengthen our ad review processes, and work with law enforcement to hold criminals accountable,' the company added.
