A Reuters investigation revealed that Meta made billions from scam ads on Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp. Fraudulent accounts were apparently left active on purpose to secure revenue for AI investments. Internal documents show that Meta allowed even the most deceptive advertisers to continue operating, while users were exposed to around 15 billion such ads every day.
In 2024 alone, about $16 billion, roughly 10 percent of the company’s revenue, came from these ads. Instead of banning scammers, Meta charged them higher ad rates. Although the company claims major progress in reducing scam ads, critics argue that Meta prioritized profits over user safety and transparency.