How to stop AI girlfriend ads on YouTube, Instagram, TikTok and Reddit

Why you keep seeing AI girlfriend ads

There are simply a lot of them. A 2024 Wired investigation, reported by Fox Business, found more than 29,000 ads for AI girlfriend apps in Meta's ad library across Facebook, Instagram and Messenger, many labeled NSFW and many of which Wired said broke Meta's adult content rules. Appfigures found that 17% of AI companion apps have "girlfriend" in their name, and those apps need users.

Targeting does the rest. Ads follow what you watch, search and click. Google notes that even with a topic limited, searching for something related can still show you contextual ads about it. And the apps themselves share data with ad networks: Roger's privacy policy, for example, names the Meta Pixel, TikTok and other trackers, and says sign-ups and purchases are sent to Meta when you accept cookies.

YouTube and Google

Google's ad controls live in My Ad Center and apply across Search, YouTube and Discover when you are signed in.

1. Block the ad. On the ad, select More or Info, then Block ad. Google says it will try to keep that ad away on its services and partner sites for at least 6 months. On other sites that use Google ads, select AdChoices, then Stop seeing this ad.
2. Limit dating ads. In My Ad Center, select Customize Ads, open the Sensitive tab and turn off Dating. The other sensitive topics are alcohol, gambling, pregnancy and parenting, and weight loss.
3. Report explicit ads. Use Report ad from the same menu if an ad shows sexual content.
4. Check your interests. In My Ad Center, remove any topics or brands linked to AI companions or dating.

Google warns that limits are best effort: an ad about something else can still feature the topic, and the settings only apply while you are signed in.

Instagram and Facebook

On Meta's apps, act on the ad itself first. Tap the three dots on the ad and choose to hide it, then report it if it is sexual or misleading. Meta's advertising rules prohibit adult content, including "nudity, depictions of people in explicit or suggestive positions", and when Wired flagged AI girlfriend ads in 2024, Meta said it was removing ads that broke those rules.

Then open Accounts Center and go to Ad preferences. There you can see the advertisers whose ads you have seen recently, hide any AI girlfriend app from the list, and ask to see fewer ads on topics you do not want. Because Instagram and Facebook share Accounts Center, one change covers both when the accounts are linked.

TikTok

On TikTok, press and hold the ad, or open its share menu, and choose About this ad. That screen shows why you were targeted and links to your Ads personalization settings, where you can switch off interest categories so you get fewer ads aimed at them. Report the ad from the same menu if it is explicit.

The same Ads personalization setting sits in the app's privacy settings, so you can review it without waiting for an ad.

Reddit

Reddit's Hide option is the most powerful of any platform here. Hiding an ad in your feed hides future ads from that advertiser for at least a year. Reddit limits how many advertisers you can hide in a day, so start with the ones you see most. Reporting an ad also hides it.

Reddit also offers sensitive ad filters that limit ads on certain topics, such as politics and religion, which you will find in your account settings.

Stop them following you around the web

• Clear the signals. Delete related searches and videos from your Google and YouTube history, and unfollow or mark "not interested" on related posts.
• Turn off personalized ads in My Ad Center if you would rather see generic ads everywhere.
• Limit tracking on your phone. On iPhone, turn off Allow Apps to Request to Track; on Android, delete your advertising ID in settings.
• Use a content blocker in your browser, which removes most ads on websites.
• If you signed up to an app, decline its marketing cookies and emails, or delete the account. Our guide on deleting an AI girlfriend account shows how, and our guide to AI girlfriend app privacy explains what apps share.

Be wary of ads that lead to app store listings using a well-known name. Secrets AI, for example, has no App Store or Google Play app and says any store listing using its name is not affiliated. Our guide to AI girlfriend scams lists the warning signs.

If a child is seeing these ads

AI girlfriend apps are for adults, but their ads reach teens. Common Sense Media found 72% of US teens have used AI companions at least once. Report every explicit ad a child sees, make sure the account has the correct birth date, and use the platform's teen or family settings. Our guide to AI girlfriend apps and teens covers age checks and parental controls.