San Francisco City Attorney David Chiu has issued a cease-and-desist letter to Meta, demanding that the company prevent paid advertisements containing AI-generated child sexual abuse imagery from appearing on Facebook, Instagram, and Threads. The letter also seeks an explanation of how the advertisements repeatedly passed Meta’s review systems.
Researchers at the Tech Transparency Project identified more than 350 advertisements that promoted AI image and video tools capable of creating nonconsensual intimate content. Some ads used images of real minors, including a member of a European royal family, and depicted transformations into sexually explicit videos. The campaigns reached more than 29,000 accounts in the European Union and also targeted users in the United States, Australia, and India.
WIRED first reported 53 such advertisements in early August. More than 250 additional ads reportedly appeared afterward, leading Chiu’s office to question whether Meta’s enforcement failures were systemic rather than isolated. The city attorney requested information about moderation procedures, repeat advertisers, escalation practices, and reports to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Meta has 28 days to respond.
Meta said all identified ads have been removed for policy violations, many before researchers reported them. The company stated that most received fewer than 200 impressions and that advertisers spent less than $5,000 in total. Meta also disputed San Francisco’s jurisdiction, saying there was no evidence the ads appeared in the city. City officials responded that local consumers could access Meta’s online platforms.
Meta’s policies prohibit child exploitation, sexual abuse imagery, nudity, and promotion of “nudify” applications. The company says advertisements undergo automated and sometimes manual review. However, researchers reported delays in removing flagged content and said similar ads continued appearing after publication of their findings. The dispute now centers on whether Meta’s safeguards and reporting systems adequately prevent repeated distribution of prohibited material.