Published : 28 Jul 2026, 05:05 AM
Updated : 08 Sep 2026, 09:28 AM
Meta has carried thousands of ads for AI “nudify” apps on Facebook and Instagram despite policies banning such content, according to a report by the nonprofit Tech Transparency Project (TTP).
The report said Beijing-based GatherOne Inc, one of Meta's official advertising partners in China, was behind about 7,600 ads in recent months promoting apps that create fake nude images and sexualised videos by placing women's faces onto naked bodies.
One China-made app also allowed users to share material some had flagged as child pornography, according to NDTV.
Meta's policies prohibit ads for “nudify” apps and sexually suggestive content. “Meta appears to be giving a free pass to one of its top Chinese advertising partners when it comes to nudify ads,” TTP director Katie Paul was quoted as saying by NDTV.
While Facebook and Instagram are blocked in China, they remain popular advertising platforms for Chinese businesses targeting overseas users. Paul said the findings contradicted Meta's claims that it bans such advertising.
“We do not allow non-consensual intimate imagery or nudify apps on our platform and we take aggressive steps to combat them,” Meta's head of women's safety policy Cindy Southworth told NDTV.
A Meta spokesperson said, “All advertisers have to comply with our advertising standards, and failure to comply with our policies and standards can lead to the cancellation of ads placed, financial penalties, and termination of ad accounts.”
GatherOne said it complies with Meta's policies and international laws, maintains zero tolerance for explicit AI-generated content, child exploitation and fraud, and has suspended new advertising accounts for AI nudify and face-swap services while upgrading its compliance systems, NDTV reports.
Reuters reported last year that Meta's internal documents estimated about 19 percent of its China revenue came from ads for banned content such as pornography, scams, and illegal gambling, with GatherOne identified as one agency facilitating such ads. Meta said at the time it was committed to removing ads that breached its policies.
The ads identified by TTP ran between April and June before Meta removed them. One promoted the Android app BAfter, which TTP said contained pornographic face-swap content.
User reviews on Google Play also alleged the app included illegal child sexual abuse material, NDTV reported.
TTP said some of the apps advertised through GatherOne had collectively been downloaded more than 2.5 million times worldwide, based on AppMagic data.
