Families Furious as Meta Utilizes Pictures of Young Female Students in Advertisements Directed toward Grown Men
An adult male user noticed that the platform owner was displaying back-to-school photos of female students—some as young as 13—in advertising content urging him to sign up for its social media app.
How the Images Were Employed
Images of the students were initially shared by their guardians on Instagram to mark the commencement of the academic term. In most cases, the minors’ faces were visible, and a number included their given names.
Families shared shock upon learning that the platform had repurposed these private moments without their authorization. One mother said that even though her profile was set to restricted, the content was involuntarily shared to the sister app, where it became open to viewers.
Guardian Reactions
Several families called the practice as “unacceptable” and “exploitative”. One father of a young teen commented:
“When I found out that a photo of her was used in what seemed like a sexualized way by a massive corporation to advertise their product, it left me feeling quite appalled.”
Another mother emphasized that she would not have authorized the usage of her daughter’s picture—especially in a academic dress—to market a social media service to adult males.
The Company’s Response
Meta defended its actions by claiming that the photos did not breach its standards. A spokesperson commented:
“The images shared do not contravene our guidelines and are back-to-school photos posted publicly by guardians. We have measures in place to help ensure we do not recommend content shared by teens.”
Nevertheless, the viewer of the suggested posts observed that he was only shown photos of young female students—not a single young men were displayed—which hinted at an dimension of targeting.
Protection and Legal Concerns
Child safety campaigners have criticized the behavior. Beeban Kidron commented:
“Offering up minor girls as bait to advertise a for-profit service is a disturbing development even for the corporation.”
The campaigner further urged authorities such as the communications watchdog to examine whether existing safeguards are strong enough to prevent companies from using content of minors in targeted marketing strategies.
What Account Holders Can Secure Their Content
- Modify account preferences on both Instagram and the connected platform.
- Deactivate the “promotional features” option in your preferences.
- Set your presence to private if you do not want your images to be suggested to strangers.
Regardless of these settings, many parents believe that the platform should never repurpose content of young people in promotional content without explicit permission.
