Meta Took Down 5.3 Mn Pieces Of Child Abuse Content In H1 2026

Under regulatory scrutiny in India, social media giant Meta claims to have taken action against 5.3 Mn pieces of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) in the first half (H1) of 2026. 

The social media giant also noted that more than 98% of this content was identified and addressed proactively before being reported. This comes as Meta has come under fire over its lax policies around taking down child sexual abuse content. 

Globally, the social media company said that it took down 33.2 Mn pieces of such content during the same timeframe, with a proactive detection rate exceeding 97%. 

Meanwhile, Meta also said that it has rolled out new AI-powered systems and upgraded its ad review frameworks across Facebook and Instagram in India to detect and take down CSAM. 

The social media juggernaut also said that it has introduced LLM-driven systems to identify “signposting” within ads to counter predators who advertise illicit material in ways that can evade automated detection. 

For context, signposting acts as a roadmap to guide and enable users to anticipate what happens next. Meta’s new “signpost” safeguards evaluate where an advertisement leads rather than solely analysing its visible content. 

Furthermore, the social media company has also deployed AI-driven sweeps to uncover missed CSAM material. It has also integrated “red-teaming” AI agents to probe its own defenses and strengthen detection mechanisms against banned users creating new accounts. 

It is pertinent to note that red teaming AI agents intentionally probe autonomous AI systems or chatbots to find security flaws and safety gaps before malicious actors do.

Meta’s clampdown on CSAM comes as the IT ministry (MeitY) recently pulled up the social media giant over alleged circulation and promotion of CSAM. A BBC investigation earlier this year alleged that Instagram ads were directing users towards Telegram channels offering CSAM material for sale. 

The controversy resulted in Meta ultimately agreeing to report child safety matters directly to Indian authorities. It also faced summons from MeitY and an inquiry by the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) over the matter. 

Previous reports also suggested that Meta could also lose its “safe harbour” protection under Section 79 of the Information Technology Act, 2000. This would force the company to face greater legal liability in cases of CSAM or other illegal content being posted on Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp. 

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