Deceptive Advertisements Surfaced on Facebook and Instagram Viewed an Estimated 900 Million Times: Study
Internet giant Facebook, transformation station for turning deceptions into cash, is teeming with con artists purchasing ads carrying political messages, as per a recent study conducted by ProPublica. It comes as no surprise that Meta's platforms, such as Facebook and Instagram, have their fair share of scams. However, this report offers an insightful perspective on the magnitude of Meta's dilemma and the insufficient capacity to monitor content on a large scale.
Intriguingly, ProPublica has unearthed scam networks that have surfaced across Facebook and Instagram, showcasing an attention-grabbing number of 900 million times.
The investigation is a collaborative effort between the Tow Center for Digital Journalism at Columbia Journalism School and the Tech Transparency Project, a charity focusing on Big Tech companies' examination. The findings suggest that the majority of the scam networks discovered in the report are linked to lead-generation businesses that accumulate and sell personal information.
These ads frequently mimic endorsements from political figures, such as Donald Trump and Joe Biden at a national level, or tailoring their ads to a specific location, like an advertisement spotted by ProPublica featuring Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker.
An illustrative advertisement discussed in the report displays an image of Gov. Pritzker, which reads, “Recent State approvals indicate that Illinois citizens below 89 years of age may now qualify for up to $35,000 in Funeral Expense Insurance, intended to cover all end-of-life expenses!” This specific ad clearly targets vulnerable seniors in Illinois, capitalizing on the interests of individuals in their 70s and 80s, and offering an attractive funeral insurance scheme.
Additionally, ads with partisan fervor or merchandise promoting a political figure like Donald Trump are a common sight. An advertisement on Trump merchandise disseminated by the seller reveals how a Trump supporter inadvertently enrolled in a recurring subscription, while purchasing some Trump coins.
Various advertisements targeting law-abiding citizens with the lure of complimentary government health insurance are starkly highlighted in the report. One series of advertisements emphasized to Facebook users to seek out unscrupulous insurance agents who either tampered with existing ACA plan details or signed users up for coverage they were unqualified for, all in a bid to earn a commission.
One may be taken aback by the revelation that despite identifying scam advertisements, the associated Facebook pages and accounts still prevail.
ProPublica states that despite Meta dismissing a few dubious advertisements, several others remained unnoticed due to their likeness or identical content. Unbelievably, even after disabling the offending ads, Meta permitted the associated Facebook pages and accounts to continue operation, allowing the parent networks to spawn new pages and advertisements.
When Gizmodo posed a question about the continuation of scam networks after flagging them as fraudulent, Meta remained tight-lipped, instead reiterating its commitment to improving its enforcement systems.
Meta's statement asserts its investigation into deceptive advertisements promoting Affordable Care Act tax credits and government-funded rent subsidies. However, some of these advertisements have been publicly available for perusal in Meta's Ad Library for up to seven years.
Meta has already identified and disabled a significant portion of these pages due to violations, but further action was taken against the remaining pages.
The report highlights the irony of Meta's ambition in artificial intelligence while failing miserably at detecting scam advertisements. Managing scams and ensuring related accounts can't advertise seems like an ideal job for AI. Or, at least, it would be a perfect task for AI if it wasn't just a plagiarism tool.
Clearly, Facebook isn't the only platform grappling with scams. From Truth Social to Grindr, scam artists abound on every network, exploiting users illegally. However, with its extensive global reach and colossal user base, Meta stands out as the smelliest trash bin. The only unanswered question is why people willingly venture into this trash pit without fail.
The Tech Transparency Project, in their collaboration with the Tow Center for Digital Journalism, shed light on the future challenges that Meta, specifically Facebook and Instagram, may face in managing technology-driven scams on their platforms. The report predicted an increase in the use of fake endorsements and misleading ads in the tech realm.
As we move forward, the effectiveness of Meta's tech systems in detecting and preventing scams will significantly impact the trust and safety of its users. If advancements in AI and machine learning cannot mitigate this issue, it may lead to a future where tech companies become hotbeds for scams, potentially impacting user satisfaction and overall market perception.
