Meta announced on Wednesday that it took action against 33.2 million pieces of child sexual exploitation content on Facebook and Instagram in the first half of 2026. The company also said it is rolling out new AI tools to find ads and accounts linked to illegal child abuse material.
More than 97% of the content Meta acted on was found by its own systems before any user reported it.
In India, Meta acted on 5.3 million pieces of child sexual exploitation content during the same period. More than 98% of that content was detected before users reported it.
New AI System Targets Hidden Ads
Meta said its latest tools focus on people who use ads that look harmless to send users to illegal content outside its platforms.
The company has introduced a new large language model system to detect what it calls "signposting." This term describes ads that appear normal but are suspected of directing users to illegal content or other harmful activity elsewhere online.
Meta said this is a tactic it has seen bad actors use recently as they change their methods to avoid detection.
The ads themselves may not contain illegal material. However, they can still act as a gateway to websites that host child sexual abuse material.
Because of this, Meta said it now looks at where an ad sends users, not just what the ad contains. The company can use this information to block websites or other destinations that break its rules. It can also take action against the accounts behind them.
Meta is also running additional AI-driven scans to find child exploitation content that earlier systems may have missed. The company said it will keep adding new signals as it learns more about how these networks operate.
Another new tool is a "red-teaming AI agent" that tests Meta's own safety measures. It searches for weaknesses that bad actors could use to get around the company's protections.
Meta said the agent could help it spot new methods of abuse before they become more common.
The company is also improving its systems for finding people who return to its platforms with new accounts after their old accounts were removed.
Pressure Over Child Safety Continues
The new measures come as Meta continues to face pressure over the safety of children on its apps. The company has faced lawsuits and criticism from lawmakers over the risks its social media services may pose to young users.
In August, Meta reached an agreement to pay up to $18 billion to settle a child safety lawsuit brought by 29 U.S. states. The case addressed concerns about how well children are protected online.
Meta has added several child safety features this year. These include parental controls for Meta AI, preteen accounts on WhatsApp, and alerts for parents when teens search Instagram for self-harm content.
In September, WhatsApp added more controls for parents. They can now limit how teenagers use Channels, control who sees their status updates, and decide who can add their children to groups.
Parents can also choose to receive notifications about certain group activity on their teen's account.
