Meta denied knowingly running paid ads that promoted child sexual abuse material on Instagram after a BBC investigation found the ads targeting users in India and directing them to channels on the messaging app Telegram. Even after Meta said it had removed the ads, the BBC found roughly 30 more, prompting Meta to acknowledge that its review process may not catch every violation. India's government ordered Meta to remove the content and explain how the ads cleared an approval process meant to review every Instagram ad before it runs. Meta is shifting most of its content and ad review to automated AI moderation by 2027, a move that raises brand-safety questions as it already faces lawsuits over scam ads slipping through.
