GoKawiilUK ad watchdog bans five Meta ads for AI apps sexualising women
The Advertising Standards Authority has banned five social media adverts, all hosted on Meta platforms, that promoted AI companion and video-generation apps by objectifying and sexualising women. One ad reportedly used sexualised imagery of a girl under 18, while others encouraged users to upload photos of a 'crush' or turn images into explicit videos without consent. Meta had already taken the ads down before the ASA's ruling.
GoKawiil's interpretation of the reporting above, not reported fact.
The decision lands weeks after the UK banned apps that create non-consensual deepfake nudes, a law prompted by backlash over X's Grok chatbot generating nude images of women. It signals regulators are widening scrutiny of AI tools that exploit personal photos, and warns advertisers that platforms and enforcement agencies could be notified if similar ads are deemed illegal, not just against ad codes.
- ASA banned five Meta-hosted ads for AI companion and video apps over sexualisation and objectification of women.
- One ad used sexualised imagery of a minor; others promoted non-consensual explicit content from uploaded photos.
- Ruling follows UK's new ban on deepfake nudify apps, tightening the regulatory net around AI-driven image abuse.
Source: bbc.co.uk, 2026-09-15
Published there as: “AI app ads promoting 'objectification of women' banned by watchdog”
Read the original report → The summary and analysis above are GoKawiil's own, written from reporting by the source above. Facts and quotes belong to the original publisher.