That chilling allegation—that Instagram's recommendation algorithms have promoted a "vast pedophile network" advertising the sale of child sexual abuse material (CSAM)—came from researchers at Stanford University and the University of Massachusetts Amherst who spoke with the Wall Street Journal.

Instagram, owned by Facebook's parent company, Meta, reportedly allowed users to seek out illicit and nefarious content using CSAM-linked hashtags like #pedowhore, #preteensex, #pedobait, and #mnsfw, an acronym for, "minors not safe for work."

"Instagram connects pedophiles and guides them to content sellers via recommendation systems that excel at linking those who share niche interests," the researchers found.

Those iniquitous accounts often claimed to be run by the children whose abuse was posted to them. The accounts—found via the aforementioned hashtags—offered to sell users pedophilic content through "menus" of materials, including photos and videos of children harming themselves, enduring sexual abuse, and performing sexual acts with animals.

Researchers with the Stanford Internet Observatory even discovered certain accounts that would purportedly encourage buyers to request content of specific illicit acts. And, for a price, some children were allegedly made available for in-person "meet-ups," the analysis uncovered.

In a statement to CBN's Faithwire, Haley McNamara, vice president of the National Center on Sexual Exploitation (NCOSE), condemned the Meta-owned platform for having "enabled predators to reach children for far too long."

"NCOSE brought the existence of grooming and pedophile networks to Instagram's attention several years ago and continues to do so, which is why Instagram is on the 2023 Dirty Dozen List of mainstream contributors to sexual exploitation," said McNamara. "We are glad to see Instagram take some action to remove pedophile networks, but the social media giant must continue to work proactively to prevent this from continuing to happen on a mass scale—without waiting for bad press"... Subscribe for free to Breaking Christian News here

Continue reading here.

To receive daily emails from Breaking Christian News to your inbox CLICK HERE

'God Never Gives Up on You': Max Lucado Reveals He Fought a Secret Battle with Alcohol

Manitoba Churches File Appeal against COVID-Era Worship Restrictions With Supreme Court

Warning from a Mom: 'Don't Let Your Child Fall Prey to a Manufactured Identity Crisis'

Best Buy Employee Allegedly Fired for Voicing Concerns over LGBT 'Training' Videos

Project Veritas Ceases Operations, Lays Off All Remaining Journalists

G20 Nations Endorse 'Digital Public Infrastructure' That Could Include Digital IDs, Currency

[Watch] Maybe This Latest Blatant Ballot Box Stuffing Scandal Will Be the Last Straw

Elon Musk Asks: Why Isn't Mainstream Media Covering the Border Crisis?

Illegal Migrant Bludgeoned American to Death in His Backyard Just Months after Release by Biden Government

Infuriating: Biden Admin Cuts Razor Wire, Flooding Texas Town With Thousands of Illegals, and Creating a State of Emergency [Watch]

Hundreds to 'March for Martyrs' in DC In 'Solidarity With Persecuted Christians'

Eleven Countries Express Their Opposition to UN Political Pandemic Declaration

Charge Dropped against Abortionist Accused of Running over Pro-Life Activist With His Car

Atheists Dismantle Longstanding Prayer Tradition, Reportedly Convince School Board to Remove 'Offensive' Invocations Before Meetings

US Navy Stops Drag-Queen Recruiting

School Board Votes to Continue Letting Transgender Students Use Whatever Restrooms They Want, Then Hundreds of HS Students Walk Out of Class in Protest

Huge Win: Judge Says Teachers Don't Have to Follow State's Gender Identity Secrecy Policy

Canada: Parents, Students, Citizens of All Faiths Unite in HUGE Nationwide Protest of LGBT Indoctrination in Schools

Maui's Hope Rising from the Ashes: Lahaina's Beloved Banyan Tree Sprouts New Life

Move of God at Texas A&M Shows 'No Signs of Slowing Down'; Hundreds Baptized in Corpus Christi