Leaks reveal that Meta billed US$16 billion with illegal ads

Meta was once again at the center of the controversy after the release of internal documents exposing a multimillion-dollar operation of irregular ads. The investigation, published by Reuters, describes a system that allows banned products, scams, and illicit activities to circulate as paid advertising within the tech giant's platforms.

Mark Zuckerberg's company reportedly caused nearly US$7 billion in revenue during 2024 from ads classified as "high risk." Internal records even projected that this number could double, reaching US$16 billion.

What the investigation revealed

The internal documents show that Meta exposes its users to more than 15 billion suspicious ads per day. These include ads for illegal gambling, fraudulent investments, fake prizes, and banned medical products, among other categories.

Internal sanctions are only applied when the algorithms reach a 95% certainty that the content is fraudulent. If the system detects irregularities below that threshold, Meta simply increases the ad fee as a "deterrent" mechanism. In practice, if the advertiser agrees to pay more, the platform earns more money.

The documents summarize the problem with a blunt phrase: "It's easier to advertise scams on Meta than on Google."

Why Meta's ad system makes the problem worse

Meta's ad personalization model plays a central role. If a user clicks on fraudulent content, the platform interprets it as interest and begins to show similar ads. This multiplies the risks for users, but also the company's revenue.

Meta's defense

Andy Stone, Meta's spokesperson, rejected the interpretation of the documents and stated that the investigation "distorts the approach against fraud and scams." The spokesperson claimed that the company reduced illegal ad reports by 58% in the past year and a half. In addition, they removed more than 134 million fraudulent ads in 2025 alone.

However, Stone's comments contrast with other independent reports that hold Meta responsible for one third of successful scams in the United States.

A business Meta can't afford to lose

The last point highlighted by the leaked documents is the concern about the economic impact that a sudden halt to this type of advertising would have. Advertising accounts for 98% of Meta's revenue, and a drastic reduction could severely affect its numbers.