Meta has stated that it removed ads from its platform to combat fraud, not to conceal them. However, internal documents suggest there were efforts to make specific ads “undetectable” to regulators.
Following backlash from Japanese regulators about apparent fraudulent activities promoting fake endorsements and investment schemes on Facebook and Instagram, Meta reportedly started removing potentially fake ads from its search function.
As per the documents, Meta seemed worried that Japan might compel the company to verify its advertisers’ identities. Regulators conducted a test using Meta’s advertising library to check its actions against fraud. The company claims this library offers tools to identify deceptive advertisements and promotes transparency.
The documents describe this test as fairly straightforward—Meta targeted popular keywords and celebrity names searched by Japanese users to identify scams and began deleting questionable ads. A few months later, Meta reported that they had only identified “less than 100” unwanted ads during the last week of testing, and that number reportedly dwindled to zero in the final days.
Such actions appear to have satisfied the Japanese government, which then opted against imposing verification requirements on advertisers. Since then, Meta has also incorporated strategies for removing fraudulent content as part of a broader global plan to address regulatory scrutiny in other regions like the U.S., Europe, and Australia. Some suggest this approach is aimed at delaying regulatory actions and avoiding certification demands for advertisers.
A Meta representative later dismissed the allegations as misleading, emphasizing that the removal of deceptive ads is a positive move, not a negative one. Andy Stone, a spokesperson for Meta, insisted that there’s nothing untoward about cleaning up the ad library. “It would be disingenuous to suggest otherwise,” he noted.
Stone further explained that their team routinely checks their ad library for fraud, arguing that a higher number of clean ads correlates with fewer fraudulent ads on the platform. He remarked that verifying advertisers isn’t a universal solution and effectively tracking fraudulent content is an ongoing challenge. Instead, he suggested a multi-faceted approach, stating that they have set robust goals and standards to mitigate fraud in key markets, leading to a reported 50% decrease in fraud-related reports from users over the past year.
It remains to be seen how regulatory bodies will respond moving forward, and further comments from Meta are anticipated.
