Title: Instagram Ad Campaign for Children’s Jewelry Draws Concerning Audience
A children’s jewelry maker’s innocent ad campaign on Instagram took a dark turn when it attracted an unwanted audience of adult men, raising concerns about the platform’s algorithms and the safety of children online.
The merchant, who targeted users interested in parenting, children, ballet, and other topics appealing mostly to women, was shocked to discover that the ads had gone almost entirely to adult men. The New York Times, known for its investigations into child abuse on social media platforms, was contacted for help in understanding why this had happened.
Test ads run by The Times using the same photos with no text replicated the merchant’s experience, drawing the attention of convicted sex offenders and other men with a sexual interest in children. The results suggested that Instagram’s algorithms played a significant role in directing men to photos of children, echoing concerns about the prevalence of men using the platform to follow and contact minors.
The investigation also uncovered disturbing interactions with the ads, including phone calls from accused sex offenders, offers to pay the child for sexual acts, and professions of love. The platform’s recommendation algorithm was found to serve sexualized photos of children and adults to accounts following only young gymnasts, cheerleaders, and other children.
Former Meta employees familiar with the company’s systems revealed that while safety teams tried to spot harmful ads, it was more challenging to identify benign ads delivered to inappropriate audiences. Despite efforts to target women, the ads featuring the child model went to men 80-95% of the time, indicating a flaw in the algorithm’s targeting.
The Times’s test accounts received messages and calls from convicted sex offenders, highlighting the real-world harm that can be caused by online platforms. Instagram’s rules prohibit convicted sex offenders from holding accounts, but the accounts identified by The Times remained online until flagged to the company.
Business owners shared similar experiences of inappropriate comments and interactions with ads featuring children, prompting them to target only women in their advertising. The concerning findings have raised questions about the safety of children on social media platforms and the need for stricter measures to protect them from predatory behavior.
In a statement, Meta acknowledged the ongoing fight against child exploitation and emphasized the importance of technology in combating it. The disturbing revelations from the ad campaign underscore the urgent need for platforms to prioritize the safety and well-being of children online.
