**Meta Under Fire for Using Schoolgirls’ Photos in Targeted Ads**
*By Akash Pandey | Sep 21, 2025, 04:54 PM*
Meta, the parent company of popular social media platforms like Instagram and Facebook, is facing backlash for allegedly using back-to-school photos of schoolgirls in targeted advertisements. This controversial practice came to light when a 37-year-old man reported seeing the ads on his device.
The man told *The Guardian* that the promotional posts exclusively featured girls in school uniforms, with no boys included, which he felt gave off “an aspect of sexualization.”
### Ads Featuring Schoolgirls Appear in Instagram Feed
The advertisements appeared in the man’s Instagram feed, urging him to “get Threads,” Meta’s new social app. The ads included images of girls as young as 13, some showing their faces and including their names. These posts, which were highlighted as “suggested Threads,” originally had been shared by parents on Instagram to celebrate their children’s return to school.
### Parents Unaware Their Children’s Images Were Used
Many parents whose children appeared in these ads claimed to be unaware that Meta’s settings allowed their photos to be used in this way. One mother explained that her private Instagram account was automatically cross-posting to Threads, where these posts became visible to a wider audience.
The man who viewed the ads described the images as “deliberately provocative and ultimately exploitative of the children and families involved.”
### Meta’s Response
Meta defended its actions by stating that the images did not violate company policies. The tech giant said it recommends people visit Threads by showing publicly shared photos that comply with its community standards and recommendation guidelines.
However, parents of the schoolgirls were outraged over the use of their children’s images for promotional purposes. One father called it “absolutely outrageous,” and a mother said she would never have consented to such use.
### Policy Clarification from Meta
Meta clarified that its systems do not recommend Threads posts made by teenagers. The images in question were shared from adults’ accounts set to public viewing. The company described these posts as part of its “recommendation tools,” emphasizing that public posts can be used for such purposes.
A Meta spokesperson stated, “The images shared do not violate our policies and are back-to-school photos posted publicly by parents.”
### Ethical Debate and Calls for Regulation
This incident has ignited a debate over Meta’s practices and the ethics of using children’s images in advertisements without explicit consent.
Beeban Kidron, a children’s rights campaigner, criticized Meta’s approach as “a new low even for Meta.” She urged regulators to ensure that companies cannot exploit sexualized images of children as bait aimed at unknown individuals.
The controversy highlights the urgent need for stricter guidelines and greater transparency in social media advertising, especially when it involves minors.
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*Tags: Meta, Instagram, Threads, Social Media Advertising, Children’s Privacy, Ethics*
https://www.newsbytesapp.com/news/science/meta-used-photos-of-schoolgirls-in-ads-targeted-at-man/story
