Warsaw, Aug. 27 (SANA) Poland has urged the European Commission to fine Meta Platforms €250 million ($291 million) over what it says is the company’s failure to effectively remove fraudulent advertisements from its social media platforms.
Polish Digital Affairs Minister Krzysztof Gawkowski said Thursday that authorities had evidence Meta was not adequately protecting users from deceptive advertising.
Tests conducted by CERT Polska, the country’s national cybersecurity incident response team, identified 122 advertisements classified as fraudulent. Meta decided not to remove 106 of them, or 86.8%, while 10 were taken down and six received no response, according to Gawkowski.
The minister called on Meta to immediately introduce more effective measures against scams, false advertising and the promotion of illegal applications, saying the proposed €250 million penalty could provide a meaningful deterrent.
Meta said it was making efforts to combat fraud across its platforms, noting that scammers increasingly employ sophisticated tactics.
The company said it continues to invest heavily in technology and partnerships with industry and law enforcement agencies to detect, remove and prevent fraudulent activity.
Gawkowski said he would seek support from other European leaders at the upcoming G20 summit for coordinated action against Meta’s practices.
The dispute follows earlier legal action in Poland involving fraudulent advertisements. Polish billionaire Rafal Brzoska sued Meta in 2024 over fake Facebook and Instagram ads that used his image and contained false information about his wife.
A Warsaw appellate court ruled in April that Meta was responsible for advertisements hosted on its platforms. Meta had argued that it could not be held responsible for fraudulent actions carried out by users.
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