Facebook and Instagram are accused, in legal filings, of profiting from placing ads for companies like Walmart and Match Group next to content that may promote child sexual exploitation.
Allegations are part of an explosive lawsuit filed by New Mexico Attorney General Raul Torrez in December, which accuses Meta of neglecting sexual exploitation issues.
According to the legal complaint, Meta is accused of allowing sponsored content to appear alongside highly disturbing images and videos that violate Meta’s standards, deceiving corporate advertisers in the process.
The complaint alleges that Match and Walmart have objected to their ads appearing next to graphic or potentially illegal content on Meta’s platforms.
When Meta failed to address these concerns, Match CEO Bernard Kim sent a letter to Zuckerberg himself, expressing his disappointment with Meta’s handling of the issue.
Meanwhile, Walmart also expressed concerns about Meta’s attention to brand safety issues and the company’s response to their advertising appearing on unauthorized channels.
Walmart marketers continued to question Meta about their ads running next to illegal content, and their dissatisfaction with Meta’s response to the issue.
According to the complaint, the filing also includes new evidence that child predators can find victims through Instagram, and highlights Meta’s failure to effectively respond to harmful content on its platform.
Prior to filing the lawsuit, investigators found posts and accounts on Instagram that depict or encourage acts of sexual abuse and reported their findings to Meta, which only removed half of the reported images.
Source: www.theguardian.com
