Guardian Probe Exposes Child Trafficking on Social Media

A Guardian investigation has revealed how child sex traffickers exploited Facebook and Instagram to target and groom minors, findings that later shaped a US court case resulting in a $375 million fine against Meta.

The 2021 reporting documented how predators used Messenger and Instagram Stories to lure children, coordinate payments through Meta Pay, and operate largely undetected in private messages and closed accounts. Former content moderators told reporters their warnings about child abuse were often ignored or deprioritized, leaving systemic gaps in protection.

Field reporting from US safe houses showed how children were coerced into trafficking, with risks worsening during the COVID-19 pandemic as online activity surged. Experts say the investigation continues to inform law enforcement probes and civil litigation, underscoring the scale of online exploitation and the weaknesses in platform safeguards.

Source: Newstimehub