Unrelated make-up tutorials are being used to disguise pornographic ads on Facebook and Instagram. (ABC News graphic: Devi Mallal)
In short:
Meta has removed a page that published two dozen sexually graphic ads that were able to circumvent the platform's auto-review process.
An ABC NEWS Verify analysis of the ads has linked them to a dubious store that is hawking erectile dysfunction supplements and is filled with deceptive practices.
What's next?
The eSafety Commissioner's office asked the social media industry to include proposed safety measures against pornographic materials in draft codes to the commissioner by February 28.
Hardcore pornographic videos have been disguised as make-up tutorials on Facebook and Instagram, an ABC NEWS Verify investigation into explicit advertisements on Meta platforms has found.
Warning: This story contains descriptions of pornography and graphic sexual activity.
On the surface, the 40-minute ads show women applying foundation, with captions reading "Unlock Your Confidence Naturally" or "Transform Your Intimate Life Today".
But when the video auto-played on a Facebook or Instagram feed, it immediately barraged the user with videos of graphic sex.
The ads linked to a dubious website for VIRO, which sells erectile dysfunction (ED) supplements.
ABC NEWS Verify monitored the page over a two-week period in January, finding explicit ads were published about two dozen times.
The graphic ads, now removed, appeared in Meta's ad library as unrelated make-up tutorials. (Supplied: Meta Ad Library)
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Meta removed the ads and page that uploaded them, after it was contacted by ABC NEWS Verify.
"Meta prohibits the display of nudity or sexual activity in ads or organic posts on our platforms and these ads have been removed for violating our Advertising Standards," a spokesman said.
The fake make-up videos are among thousands of paid ads that have been published globally to Meta's platforms that feature graphic sexual imagery, AI-generated models, spurious medical claims, and fake testimonies from celebrities.
They highlight the challenges the social media giant faces as it comes up against unscrupulous advertisers on its platforms.
Meta said it relied primarily on automated technology to review the millions of ads across its platforms.
"Bad actors are constantly evolving their tactics to avoid enforcement, which is why we continue to invest in machine learning tools and technology to help identify and remove violating content," a spokesman said.
Meta is the parent company for the world's largest social media platforms, including Facebook and Instagram. (Reuters: Dado Ruvic)
Analysis of the videos shows its creator may have used the fake tutorial as a way of tricking the software.
In the ads, the first frame, used as the default thumbnail on the platform, was of the make-up instructor.
During the period of up to a minute where the ad displayed hardcore porn, the instructor appeared again every 15 frames, intermixed with the porn.
Once the hardcore porn ad finished, a slowed-down version of the actual make-up tutorial played for approximately 40 minutes, until the end.
Meta did not respond to questions about how its auto-review process works, but the length of the benign make-up content and intermittent splicing of frames appears enough to fool its systems.
Different rules for paying accounts?
European non-profit organisation research group AI Forensics has been investigating graphic ads on Meta's platforms.
Last month it found more than 3,316 unique advertisements featuring explicit images and video were published on Meta platforms in the European Union between December 2023 and December 2024.
Its research found they were targeted at men older than 45. Conservatively, it was estimated they were shown to more than 8 million users.
AI Forensics lead researcher Paul Bouchaud said the organisation was able to conduct its research because the EU's Digital Service Act compelled Meta to make available ad archives.
Tech giants respond to social media ban
Photo shows A woman’s hands holding a smartphone, surrounded by messages of upset emojis
In Australia, the content of non-political advertisements is not archived.
"This case study highlights the benefits of a transparent, publicly accessible ad library," Dr Bouchaud said.
They also said VIRO, the brand that posted the covert porn ads in Australia, had been doing the same in more than 10 EU countries.
AI Forensics uploaded the same ads using regular, non-commercial, user accounts — and found the content was automatically, and quickly, taken down before being published.
Dr Bouchaud accused Meta of having a "double standard" because it had quickly removed content on regular accounts but dragged its feet on commercial accounts posting ads.
"Despite pornographic content being forbidden by Meta's policies for both ads and regular posts, Meta approves explicit ads while removing regular posts," they said.
eSafety commissioner Julie Inman Grant has directed social media companies to submit draft codes to bolster the online safety of its users by February 28. (ABC News: Adam Kennedy)
A spokesman for the Australian eSafety commissioner said Meta should "enforce their own rules more consistently".
"Exposure to harmful or age-inappropriate content online, especially when it comes to children, is a naturally key concern for Australians, and eSafety has been working to establish stronger guardrails in this space for some time," the spokesman said.
The eSafety commissioner has set a deadline of February 28 for the tech companies in Australia to develop a set of industry codes meant to better safeguard against inappropriate content.
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It would be up to eSafety to then enforce the codes, which could carry heavy civil penalties worth millions for non-compliance.
"Social media advertisements that contain explicit pornographic material are likely to be captured by these codes, and platforms on which they appear will be required to take steps to protect children from exposure to this material," the spokesman said.
Dubious website preys on male 'shame'
The digital store linked to the fake make-up tutorials in Australia has several instances of deceptive practices.
The seller of VIRO, marketed as a chewable supplement for erectile dysfunction, states it is made with all-natural, and clinically proven, ingredients.
The website states the mints are "manufactured in facilities" that are registered with the US Food and Drugs Administration (FDA).
The website includes photos of several different certifications and registrations.
VIRO's website is filled with unverifiable claims about its popularity and provenance. (Supplied)
VIRO also claims its ED product was partly developed by a "renowned" US-based urologist named Dr Jonathan Meyers, who is quoted praising the mint as a "breakthrough in natural sexual health".
ABC NEWS Verify could not locate any existence of Dr Meyers — his photo on the website is a stock image.
An analysis of the website shows it has been stitched together to appear authentic.
The certificates displayed belong to companies with different names — with one even watermarked as a "sample" copy.
VIRO's company offices are listed as being in Springfield, Illinois — but the address does not exist and the phone number and email address do not work.
Even the image of VIRO's signature green mint shows another company's erectile dysfunction product — which has had VIRO's logo photoshopped on.
The image of "VIRO" mints on the website (left) is a photoshopped image of a pre-existing product (right).
Merchant information for VIRO, obtained by ABC NEWS Verify, links to a Chinese-language website.
Christopher Fox, a senior lecturer in sexual health at the University of Sydney, reviewed VIRO's ads and website.
He said they were designed to target vulnerable men, with no conclusive evidence the supplements worked.
"This is just praying on people's discomfort around sex … it's playing on vulnerability and shame and stigma about not having an erection," he said.
Dr Fox also theorised the use of porn in the ads aimed to take advantage of people in an aroused state.
"When we become sexually aroused, we become often more hyper-focused on sex … to engage in sexual activity, i.e. looking at porn for longer, masturbating more, trying different things," he said.
VIRO did not respond to ABC NEWS Verify's inquiries.