Santa Clara County sues Meta over $7 billion in scam ads

Santa Clara County sues Meta over $7 billion in scam ads

The lawsuit alleges Meta tolerated fraudulent advertising and placed internal limits on anti-scam efforts to protect revenue

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Santa Clara County filed a lawsuit against Meta $META on Monday, accusing the social media company of profiting from fraudulent ads on Facebook and Instagram in violation of California's false advertising and unfair business practices laws.

The complaint, filed in Santa Clara County Superior Court on behalf of all California residents, seeks restitution, civil damages, and a court order prohibiting Meta from engaging in unfair business practices. According to the complaint, Meta's revenue from so-called "high-risk" advertising — ads that displayed obvious indicators of fraud — may have totaled as much as $7 billion in a single year.

Internal documents, first surfaced by Reuters and cited........

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