Short answer: Facebook and Instagram face a very large child-sexual-exploitation enforcement burden, but the available figures do not measure the number of people with pedophilic disorder, offenders, victims, or the prevalence of abuse among users. Meta reported removing 13 million pieces of child sexual exploitation content across Facebook and Instagram in October–December 2025, with more than 96% detected proactively. That is a count of content-removal actions across two services—not a count of unique crimes or people.
“Pedophilia” is not the same category as CSAM
Pedophilia is a clinical term concerning a person’s enduring sexual interest in prepubescent children. It is not a synonym for every form of child sexual abuse, exploitation, grooming, or illegal imagery.
For abusive images and videos, the more precise term is child sexual abuse material (CSAM). The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) says it uses that term because it describes the sexual abuse and exploitation depicted. Platform reports often use a broader policy label such as “child sexual exploitation,” which can include imagery, sexual solicitation, grooming, trafficking-related material, and other conduct.
That distinction matters: Meta’s enforcement totals cannot be converted into a count of people with a diagnosis, perpetrators, or children harmed.
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What Meta’s latest number actually counts
13 million pieces removed in Q4 2025
Meta said it removed 13 million pieces of child sexual exploitation content from Facebook and Instagram during October–December 2025. The company said more than 96% was found and actioned proactively, rather than after a user report.
- Services: Facebook and Instagram combined.
- Period: one quarter, October through December 2025.
- Unit: pieces of content removed or otherwise actioned.
- Detection: Meta’s own systems identified more than 96% proactively.
- What it does not show: unique uploaders, unique victims, confirmed criminal cases, or the proportion of users involved.
The same image, reposts, copies, or multiple enforcement actions can produce multiple content records. A moderation action also is not a judicial finding that a particular person committed a crime.
A separate Facebook-only quarter shows why comparisons are difficult
The OECD’s 2025 transparency analysis, summarizing Facebook’s Q1 2024 Community Standards Enforcement Report, gives a different snapshot:
Rank #2
| Figure | Scope and period | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| 14.4 million items actioned | Facebook, Q1 2024 | Content actions in the child-sexual-exploitation category |
| 94.3% proactively detected | Facebook, Q1 2024 | Found by Meta’s systems rather than user reports |
| 5.7% user-reported | Facebook, Q1 2024 | Actions associated with reports from users |
| 381,000 appeals | Facebook, Q1 2024 | Users challenged an enforcement decision |
| 197,000 restored items | Facebook, Q1 2024 | Content was restored after review |
These figures should not be treated as a trend line against the 13 million Q4 2025 number. The periods differ, Facebook Q1 2024 is not the same scope as Facebook plus Instagram Q4 2025, and “items actioned” may include removals or other enforcement actions. The appeal and restoration figures also show that automated and human moderation can make errors.
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21.3 million reports in 2025
NCMEC says its CyberTipline received 21.3 million reports in 2025. That is an all-source total received by NCMEC, not a Facebook-only number and not a census of abuse. Reports can come from online service providers, members of the public, and other reporting channels, and NCMEC routes information to law enforcement.
Reporting-law changes affect year-to-year comparisons
The 2024 REPORT Act expanded online-service-provider reporting requirements to include online enticement and child sex trafficking. NCMEC says those added categories contributed to growth in 2025. A higher CyberTipline total therefore cannot, by itself, establish that the underlying rate of abuse rose by the same amount.
CyberTipline reports and platform enforcement counts answer different questions. A provider report may cover suspected activity sent to NCMEC; a platform count may cover content detected and actioned under a policy; neither number directly measures unique incidents, offenders, or victims.
How Meta says detection and reporting work
Image matching and context-specific systems
Meta describes using image-matching technology and adapting detection to context, including public profiles and messages. Its public materials also describe reporting apparent child exploitation to NCMEC. Those are statements of Meta’s practices and policies; the cited company descriptions do not independently establish how effective the systems are, how many cases they miss, or whether they prevent harm.
Quarterly CyberTip disclosures
In its 2025 SEC proxy filing, Meta said it publishes quarterly CyberTip figures for Facebook and Instagram. The filing also described a January 2025 adjustment that prioritized automated enforcement toward illegal and high-severity violations. That disclosure describes a change in stated priorities, not a verified change in real-world safety outcomes.
What the New Mexico litigation does—and does not—prove
New Mexico litigation involving Meta’s services has included serious allegations about child exploitation risks. An Associated Press report in February 2026 described the beginning of a trial and presented prosecutors’ allegations alongside Meta’s position. An earlier AP report in January 2024 covered claims in unsealed lawsuit documents.
Those are allegations and arguments by parties in litigation. They should not be presented as established facts unless a court finding or verdict is specifically identified. Meta’s response belongs alongside the allegations, and a trial report is not itself a final judgment. The existence of a lawsuit also cannot be used to calculate how many users or children were affected.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How to read claims that Facebook has a “gigantic” problem
The word “gigantic” is a judgment, not a standardized safety metric. A responsible assessment should ask six questions before comparing any number:
Best Value
- What services are included? Facebook alone is not comparable with Facebook plus Instagram or other Meta services.
- What is counted? A content item, enforcement action, account, provider report, incident, and person are different units.
- What period and geography apply? A quarter in one reporting system cannot be read as a global annual prevalence rate.
- How was it detected? Proactive technology, a user report, and a provider report describe different pathways.
- Are reversals included? Appeals and restored items reveal that some decisions were wrong or changed.
- What outcome is being described? A policy action, a CyberTipline referral, a law-enforcement investigation, and a legal finding are not interchangeable.
On the evidence available, Facebook and Instagram clearly process and remove very large volumes of suspected child-sexual-exploitation material. The evidence does not support a numerical claim about the number of pedophiles on Facebook or the share of users who abuse children.
What to do if you encounter suspected exploitation
Report through the appropriate channel
- Use the platform’s in-product reporting tools for suspected child sexual exploitation.
- Use NCMEC’s official CyberTipline for reports of suspected online child exploitation. Provide the requested information through that service rather than sending abusive material to a journalist or publication.
- If there is an immediate threat to a child, contact local emergency services or law enforcement.
When an intimate image was made before the person turned 18
NCMEC’s Take It Down service may help remove certain intimate images created when the person depicted was under 18. Eligibility and removal depend on the service’s process and participating platforms. Do not download, forward, or repost suspected CSAM.
Bottom line
Meta’s own figures document a massive moderation workload: 13 million pieces of child sexual exploitation content removed across Facebook and Instagram in Q4 2025, with more than 96% detected proactively. OECD’s separate Facebook Q1 2024 figures and NCMEC’s all-source 2025 CyberTipline total reinforce the scale of the reporting and enforcement challenge, but they measure different things. They cannot establish a count of pedophiles, unique victims, or the prevalence of child sexual abuse among Facebook users.
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