[Breitbart] Instagram, the globally popular social media platform owned by Mark Zuckerberg’s Facebook (now known as Meta), has failed to stop the connection and promotion of a vast network of accounts involved in the creation and purchase of child pornography, according to recent investigations by researchers at Stanford University and the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Child Pornography dealers on Instagram are so brazen that they offer a “menu” of services directly on Zuckerberg’s platform.The Wall Street Journal reports that according to recent investigations by researchers at Stanford University and the University of Massachusetts Amherst, Instagram, the widely used social media platform owned by Facebook, enabled the connection and promotion of a vast network of accounts involved in the creation and purchase of child porn.
Researchers claim that Instagram’s algorithms, which were created to link users with similar niche interests, promote these illegal activities. It has been discovered that the platform’s recommendation systems direct users toward explicit content and link content sellers and pedophiles.
“Instagram’s algorithms excel at linking those who share niche interests. Unfortunately, this has led to the promotion of pedophilic activities and the connection of pedophiles with content sellers,” said a researcher involved in the investigation.
Researchers discovered that users could access accounts that sold child sex material by using the search feature on Instagram to locate explicit hashtags. Some accounts even provided “menus” with content options, including clips of kids hurting themselves and having sex with animals.