Meta Allowed Scam Ads In China to Protect Revenue: ‘I Don’t Know How Anyone Could Think This Is Okay.’
A Reuters investigation shows that Meta knowingly scaled back a crackdown on predatory advertising.
Meta ignored scam ads from China, even though it knew users were being defrauded.
According to a Reuters investigation, Meta made about $18 billion in ad revenue from China in 2024. Roughly 19 percent of that money came from scams, illegal gambling, pornography and other ads that violate the company’s rules.
Internal documents show Meta briefly cracked down, with one executive writing, “The levels that you’re talking about are not defensible. I don’t know how anyone could think this is okay.” But the company backed off after leadership worried about the revenue impact.
Meta ignored scam ads from China, even though it knew users were being defrauded.
According to a Reuters investigation, Meta made about $18 billion in ad revenue from China in 2024. Roughly 19 percent of that money came from scams, illegal gambling, pornography and other ads that violate the company’s rules.
Internal documents show Meta briefly cracked down, with one executive writing, “The levels that you’re talking about are not defensible. I don’t know how anyone could think this is okay.” But the company backed off after leadership worried about the revenue impact.
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