Newly discovered internal policies of tech giant Meta Platforms Inc (NASDAQ: META) (FRA: FB2A) have been attracting severe condemnation due to their highly questionable nature.
In an internal document obtained by Reuters titled “GenAI: Content Risk Standards,” it was revealed that the major company was permitting its AI bots to have “sensual” or romantic conversations with children.
In an X post on Aug. 15, Missouri Senator Josh Hawley revealed that he was launching a full investigation into the matter.
“To take but one example, your internal rules purportedly permit an Al chatbot to comment that an eight-year-old’s body is ‘a work of art’ of which ‘every inch is a masterpiece — a treasure I cherish deeply,'” Hawley stated in a letter addressed to Mark Zuckerberg, highlighting his disgust.
“Similar conduct outlined in these reports is reprehensible and outrageous.”
Oregon Senator Ron Wyden also criticized Meta, describing the policies as deeply disturbing and wrong.
Meta confirmed the authenticity of the details to Reuters, saying they were “erroneous and inconsistent with our policies” and that they had been edited out.
Nonetheless, the major tech influence is under the spotlight for putting them in the policy manual to begin with.
“Given that a large part of Meta’s user base is underage, it’s extremely worrying that there is such a poor level of internal governance and oversight that leads to such unacceptable standards being approved,” commented Luiza Jarovsky, a Ph.D. researcher from Tel Aviv University who writes a popular newsletter on artificial intelligence.
The report from Reuters also claims that Meta’s internal policies were permitting Meta AI and social media chatbots to help users argue that black people were dumber than white people. Also, allowing the dissemination of false medical info.
The record company of renowned music star Neil Young announced that he was refusing use Facebook anymore following the news.
“Meta’s use of chatbots with children is unconscionable,” read a post from a Neil Young page run by Reprise Records. “Mr. Young does not want a further connection with FACEBOOK.”
Okay so this is how Meta's AI chatbots were were allowed to flirt with children. This was what Meta thought was was "acceptable."
Great reporting from @JeffHorwitz pic.twitter.com/LoRrfjflMI
— Charlotte Alter (@CharlotteAlter) August 14, 2025
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Meta being investigated for ‘deceptive’ kids mental health advice
The questionable policies brought to light by Reuters are not the only thing making the social media giant become the target of American politicians this month.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton announced Monday that he was launching an investigation into the company and Character.AI for misleading children with deceptive AI-generated mental health services.
“These platforms may be utilized by vulnerable individuals, including children, and can present themselves as professional therapeutic tools,” he said in a news release, “despite lacking proper medical credentials or oversight.”
“Al-driven chatbots often go beyond simply offering generic advice and have been shown to impersonate licensed mental health professionals, fabricate qualifications, and claim to provide private, trustworthy counseling services.”
Meta has a long-track record of attracting criticism for its contentious practices.
In April, a whistleblower said the company was targeting teenagers with advertisements based on their emotional state.
“It could identify when they were feeling worthless or helpless or like a failure,” said former international public policy director at Facebook, Sarah Wynn-Williams, “and [Meta] would take that information and share it with advertisers.”
This February, Amnesty International stated that Meta was prioritizing profits over human dignity. Moreover, the Electronic Frontier Foundation said in the previous month that the leading tech influence was failing to adequately address the spread of harmful content.
These two organizations are a couple of bullet points on a long list that oppose Meta for various reasons.
Read more: OpenAI gets US$2.91 every time ChatGPT is downloaded
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