A Meta spokesperson acknowledged that the company had received the reports and was not acting on them.
Instagram’s recommendation algorithms linked and promoted a “massive network of pedophiles” seeking illegal sexual content and underage activity, according to a Wall Street Journal (WSJ) report. These algorithms also promoted the sale of unauthorized “child sex material” on the platform, the outlet said. The report is based on an investigation into child pornography on Meta’s platform, conducted by WSJ and researchers from Stanford University and the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Some accounts even allowed buyers to “perform specific acts” or arrange “meetings”.
“Pedophiles have long been using the internet, but unlike the forums and file transfer services that target people interested in illegal content, Instagram doesn’t just host these activities. Its algorithms promote them,” the WSJ report said. “Instagram connects pedophiles and directs them to content sellers through recommendation systems that excel at connecting people who share niche interests.”
The investigation found that Instagram allowed users to search by child abuse hashtags such as #pedowhore, #preteensex and #pedobait.
These hashtags led users to accounts that offered to sell pedophile material, and even had videos of children hurting themselves, the researchers said.
These things were brought to the company’s attention by anti-pedophile activists, who flagged accounts claiming to be of a girl selling content featuring minors, and another that of a scantily clad young girl with an explicit sexual caption.
The responses the activists received were automated, saying, “Due to the volume of reports we receive, our team has been unable to review this post.” In another case, the response suggested that the user hide the account to avoid seeing its contents.
A spokesperson for Meta acknowledged that the company had received the reports and had not acted on them, attributing the omission to a software bug.
The company told WSJ that it has fixed the bug in its reporting system and is providing new training to its content moderators.
“Child exploitation is a heinous crime. We are constantly exploring ways to actively defend ourselves against this behavior,” the spokesperson said.
Meta said it has taken down 27 pedophile networks in the past two years and is planning more takedowns. It also said thousands of hashtags sexualizing children have been blocked, some with millions of posts.
The report comes as Meta and other social media platforms come under scrutiny for their efforts to prevent the proliferation of offensive content on their platforms.