San Francisco officials have demanded Meta stop allowing AI-generated child sexual abuse advertisements on its platforms and explain how such content bypassed its moderation systems.

San Francisco City Attorney David Chiu has issued a cease-and-desist letter to Meta, ordering the company to stop allowing paid advertisements featuring AI-generated child sexual abuse content. The action follows reports that more than 350 such ads appeared on Meta’s platforms in recent months, directing users to apps capable of creating nonconsensual intimate imagery. The city is demanding an explanation of how these ads evaded Meta's moderation and safety protocols.

Scope of the Advertisements

Research by the Tech Transparency Project (TTP) identified over 350 ads that transformed still images of minors into short videos depicting sexual acts. These ads reached more than 29,000 accounts across the European Union, as well as users in the United States, Australia, and India. While Meta stated that the total ad spend for these instances was under $5,000 and that all identified ads have been removed, researchers noted that more than 250 of these ads appeared after an initial report in August.

Legal and Jurisdictional Dispute

Meta has argued that there is no indication the ads were displayed in San Francisco, claiming the matter falls outside the city attorney's jurisdiction. In response, a spokesperson for the City Attorney’s Office stated that because local consumers can access the content via Meta’s online spaces, the city maintains authority. The letter from Chiu requests that Meta’s legal and safety staff engage in prompt discussions and provide a formal response within 28 days regarding how it handles repeat offenders and reports to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.