Meta shares fall as scam ad strategy draws scrutinyMeta Platforms shares fell 1.4% in after-hours trading on January 2 after a Reuters investigation revealed the company created a global "playbook" to stall scam-ad regulations by manipulating its public Ad Library to make fraudulent ads harder for regulators to find.Internal documents show Meta resisted universal advertiser verification—which could cost $2 billion and reduce revenue by up to 4.8%—by repeatedly scrubbing search results for keywords regulators used, making problematic content "not findable" across Japan, Europe, the U.S., and other markets.The European Commission requested information citing "doubts about compliance," while U.S. senators urged SEC and FTC investigations, as Meta spokesperson Andy Stone defended the company's actions and pointed to a 50% decline in user-reported scams.Source

Meta shares fall as scam ad strategy draws scrutiny

Meta Platforms shares fell 1.4% in after-hours trading on January 2 after a Reuters investigation revealed the company created a global "playbook" to stall scam-ad regulations by manipulating its public Ad Library to make fraudulent ads harder for regulators to find.

Internal documents show Meta resisted universal advertiser verification—which could cost $2 billion and reduce revenue by up to 4.8%—by repeatedly scrubbing search results for keywords regulators used, making problematic content "not findable" across Japan, Europe, the U.S., and other markets.

The European Commission requested information citing "doubts about compliance," while U.S. senators urged SEC and FTC investigations, as Meta spokesperson Andy Stone defended the company's actions and pointed to a 50% decline in user-reported scams.

Source