MSN
Meta may be entering its “free speech” era in the United States, but a report that turned up thousands of sexually explicit ads on Facebook and other Meta platforms in Europe offers a reminder of the scrutiny it continues to face from watchdogs and regulators abroad.
The report, published Wednesday by the European nonprofit research group AI Forensics, found that Meta has run at least 3,316 unique advertisements featuring explicit adult images and videos over the past year in Europe, reaching as many as 8 million users. The ads, many of which feature graphic sexual acts, were shown mostly to men over the age of 44, thanks to the company’s ad-targeting systems.
When the researchers attempted to post the same images and videos to Facebook and Instagram, they were quickly taken down. That seems to suggest that the company is not applying the same moderation systems to advertisers as it does to ordinary users, said Paul Bouchaud, lead researcher at AI Forensics.
The researchers say this highlights a “double standard” by which Meta is profiting from material that its policies prohibit — and raises questions about the company’s compliance with European regulations.
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