Instagram ‘is profiting from AI-generated child abuse images’: Charity lawyers target social media giant Meta for ‘not tackling’ a ‘new frontier of horror’ that sees paedophiles advertise websites selling vile deep-faked photos [Video]

19:28 EDT 21 Jul 2024, updated 10:47 EDT 22 Jul 2024

Instagram is facing a legal challenge over claims it profits by allowing users to advertise AI-generated child sex abuse images.

It follows a police investigation which found that predators are using Instagram to promote websites selling the abuse material, which is available in just two clicks.

In what campaigners say is a ‘new frontier of horror’, paedophiles are using artificial intelligence software to generate thousands of sexualised images of children, which they brazenly market on Instagram, telling users to click on their sites to buy even more explicit material.

Law firm Schillings has launched a ‘groundbreaking legal challenge’ against social media giant Meta – which owns Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp, on behalf of the 5Rights Foundation children’s charity.

It alleges that Instagram is ‘complicit in the exploitation of children online’ by hosting ‘content which puts both adult and child users at risk’.