According to the Wall Street Journal (WSJ), Instagram’s recommendation algorithms linked and promoted a “vast network of pedophiles” seeking illicit underage sexual content and conduct. According to the site, these algorithms also advertised the sale of illegal “child-sex material” on the platform. The study is based on a joint investigation by the Wall Street Journal and researchers from Stanford University and the University of Massachusetts Amherst into child pornography on Meta’s platform. Buyers might even “commission specific acts” or organize “meet-ups” on some accounts.
“Pedophiles have long used the internet, but unlike the forums and file-transfer services that cater to people who have an interest in illicit content, Instagram doesn’t merely host these activities. Its algorithms promote them,” the WSJ report said. “Instagram connects pedophiles and guides them to content sellers via recommendation systems that excel at linking those who share niche interests.”
According to the study, Instagram users could search for child-sex abuse hashtags such as #pedowhore, #preteensex, and #pedobait. According to the researchers, these hashtags directed users to accounts that offered to sell paedophilic items and even included footage of minors injuring themselves.
Meta’s failure to address reports of child exploitation sparks outrage
Anti-pedophile campaigners alerted the corporation to accounts purporting to belong to a girl selling underage sex content, as well as another showing a scantily clad young girl with a brutally sexual comment. The activists received automated responses that stated, “Because of the high volume of reports we receive, our team hasn’t been able to review this post.” In another situation, the message advised the user to hide the account in order to avoid viewing its material.
A Meta spokeswoman confirmed receiving the reports but failing to act on them, attributing the failure to a technological glitch. According to the WSJ, the business has rectified the issue in its reporting system and is retraining its content moderators.
“Child exploitation is a horrific crime. We’re continuously investigating ways to defend against this behavior actively,” the spokesperson said.
Meta claims to have shut down 27 pedophile networks in the last two years and is planning more. It also stated that thousands of hashtags that sexualize children, some with millions of postings, have been blocked. The news comes as Meta and other social media platforms are under fire for their efforts to restrict the spread of offensive content on their platforms.