It has been revealed that Facebook allows scam advertisements
Meta has been criticized in the past for allowing scammers to run ads on Facebook. The company promised to make improvements in this regard. Despite Facebook's claims that it has 'solved the problem,' it has been determined that scam advertisements on the platform are on the rise.
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It has been reported that scam advertisements continue to be published on Facebook and Instagram. According to research featured in the Swedish press, scammers who pay approximately 1.28 million dollars a month to Facebook continue to use Meta's platforms.
Scam articles on social media have stood out as one of the primary methods scammers use to find new victims. These articles generally aim to attract attention with pictures of celebrities and sensational headlines. For example, headlines claiming large profits from investments in 'investment' and 'stock market ads' were frequently used to trap users.
Swedish journalist Olof Lundh described Meta as worse than the scammers themselves. Lundh criticized the company's stance, saying, 'Meta acts like a normal company, but then they do these kinds of absurd things.'
According to research by Uppdrag Granskning, broadcast on Sweden's state television SVT, scammers clone real news sites to make fake articles appear as if they were published by trusted sources like Aftonbladet or SVT. It is known that similar scam methods are also used in Turkey.
CEO of the Swedish Media Publishers' Association Stefan Eklund defined this situation as a 'democratic problem,' stating the following:
'Fake advertisements undermine the credibility of serious news journalism. This is particularly dangerous at a time when society is exposed to digital disinformation campaigns.'
THE COMPANY DENIED THE ALLEGATIONS
Meta claimed that it has improved its procedures regarding scam advertisements, arguing that 'publishing advertisements that promote or facilitate fraud is against its policies.'
However, a one-month investigation by cybersecurity expert Karl Emil Nikka did not support these claims by Meta.
Nikka stated, 'The situation looks very bad,' noting that Facebook is not effectively blocking the reported fake articles. The research showed that scam advertisements are still prevalent on the platform.
Facebook and Instagram, owned by Meta, continue to allow the publication of scam advertisements. This situation both threatens the safety of users and damages the credibility of the media. Meta needs to take more effective measures to solve this problem.