Meta rolls out AI tools to detect ads that secretly lead to child abuse material

Meta said it took action against 33.2 million pieces of child sexual exploitation content on Facebook and Instagram in the first half of 2026, with over 97% detected by its systems before users reported it. New AI tools include an LLM system to detect "signposting" ads that redirect users to illegal content off-platform and a red-teaming AI agent to test its own safeguards.

• 33.2 million pieces of child sexual exploitation content removed in H1 2026
• Over 97% of content was detected by Meta's systems before user reports
• In India, 5.3 million pieces removed, 98% detected automatically
• New LLM system tracks where ads lead, not just their content