Recent findings have uncovered a concerning trend on Meta platforms, with thousands of explicit AI ‘girlfriend’ ads surfacing despite violating Meta’s adult content advertising policy. The tech giant has been actively promoting AI across Facebook, Instagram, and Whatsapp, integrating it into various aspects of user experience.

Wired’s investigation revealed a staggering 29,000 ads for explicit AI ‘girlfriends’ on Meta platforms, many of which feature sexually suggestive content. Terms like ‘NSFW’ and ‘NSFW AI’ were prevalent in approximately 19,000 and 14,000 ads, respectively. These ads were identified through searches on Meta’s ad library, showcasing the extent of their presence on the platforms.

Meta’s adult content advertising policy strictly prohibits ads containing nudity, explicit imagery, or sexually suggestive material. Both Facebook and Instagram enforce community guidelines that restrict content related to sexual services and explicit language, including sexually suggestive emojis. Despite these regulations, the proliferation of NSFW AI ads raises concerns about the effectiveness of Meta’s content moderation strategies.

Over the years, various groups, including sex workers, LGBTQ individuals, and erotic artists, have criticized Meta for unfairly targeting their content based on these policies. Reports suggest instances where content aimed at women, such as sex toy ads, faced rejection while similar content targeted at men was approved. Concerns have also been raised regarding Instagram’s treatment of LGBTQ and sex educator accounts, along with Whatsapp’s actions against sex worker profiles.

Notably, Wired’s report highlights a pattern of explicit AI ads bypassing Meta’s content restrictions, mirroring previous incidents involving deepfake ads featuring celebrities like Jenna Ortega. Despite the scale of the issue, Meta has not provided a comprehensive response to address the presence of these ads on its platforms.

The prevalence of NSFW AI ‘girlfriend’ ads underscores the challenges faced by social media platforms in regulating explicit content and maintaining a safe online environment. As users continue to engage with AI-driven features on Meta platforms, the need for robust content moderation practices becomes increasingly apparent to uphold community standards and user trust.