Meta's platforms display billions of high-risk ads daily, generating billions in revenue
According to internal Meta documents obtained by Reuters, Meta's advertising systems display approximately 15 billion high-risk advertisements daily, with Meta generating an estimated 7 billion dollars annually from fraud and banned product ads. The company reportedly blocks fraudulent advertisers only when algorithms achieve 95 percent certainty of fraud, and users exposed to scam ads face additional similar content through Meta's personalization system.
What happened
According to internal Meta documents from 2021-2025 obtained by Reuters, Meta's platforms display approximately 15 billion high-risk advertisements daily, with Meta's internal warning systems detecting many suspicious advertisers.
Meta blocks advertisers only when automated algorithms reach at least 95 percent certainty of fraud; for lower confidence levels, the company raises advertising rates to discourage fraudulent promoters. Internal documents indicate that high-risk advertisements, which show clear signs of fraud, account for approximately 7 billion dollars in annual revenue.
Reported impact
Users of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp were exposed to scams related to e-commerce, investment fraud, illegal online casinos, and sales of banned medical products. Documents indicate that users who click fraudulent advertisements may be exposed to additional similar content due to Meta's personalization system.
Index analysis
Meta's internal documents from late 2024 projected that 10 percent of the company's revenue for 2024—approximately 16 billion dollars—would derive from advertisements for scams and banned goods.
Meta did not identify and halt a flood of high-risk advertisements for at least three years, despite its systems detecting suspicious advertiser behavior.
Governance controls
Meta's spokesperson Andy Stone stated that reported data were selective and did not reflect the company's actual approach to fighting fraud, though he did not provide specific corrected figures. He claimed that reports of fraudulent advertisement complaints globally declined 58 percent over the previous 18 months.
Classification
Sources and evidence
Sources not yet published
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