San Francisco Tells Meta to Stop 'Allowing' AI-Generated Child Abuse Ads

San Francisco City Attorney David Chiu has sent Meta a cease-and-desist letter demanding the company stop allowing paid advertisements containing AI-generated child sexual abuse content. The letter follows a Wired report revealing that more than 350 ads ran on Meta's platforms in recent months, using AI to transform still images of minors — including a member of a European royal family — into short video clips depicting sexual acts.

The ads, uncovered by researchers at the Tech Transparency Project (TTP), directed users to download AI image- and video-generation apps, some capable of digitally undressing people or creating other nonconsensual intimate imagery. Running across Facebook, Instagram and Threads, the ads reached more than 29,000 accounts in European Union countries and also targeted users in the US, Australia and India.

Meta disputes jurisdiction

Meta has said there is no indication the ads were shown in San Francisco specifically, arguing the matter falls outside the city attorney's jurisdiction. A spokesperson for Chiu's office, Alex Barrett-Shorter, countered that San Francisco residents can access the ads online, making it the city's business. Barrett-Shorter said the office found Meta's response "astonishing," suggesting the company seemed more focused on jurisdiction than on the underlying exploitation issue.

Meta previously said many of the flagged ads had already been removed before being reported, and that all have since been taken down for policy violations. The company said total spending across the more than 300 ads identified by researchers was under $5,000.

28-day deadline to respond

Chiu's letter demands Meta explain how the ads evaded its moderation systems, how it reports cases to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), and how it handles repeat offenders among advertisers. Meta has 28 days to respond. TTP director Katie Paul said that even after the report's publication, new ads featuring some of the same children have continued to appear on Meta's platforms.