Google, Meta, TikTok face EU consumer complaints about handling of financial scams
Consumer groups said they reported nearly 900 suspect ads, and the platforms removed only 27% while 52% were rejected or ignored.
- On Thursday, the European Consumer Organisation and 29 member groups filed complaints against Meta, TikTok, and Google, alleging the platforms fail to protect users from financial scams on their services.
- Between December and March, consumer groups reported nearly 900 ads suspected of breaching EU laws, but platforms removed only 27% and rejected or ignored 52% of the reports.
- BEUC Director General Agustín Reyna stated, "Meta, TikTok and Google not only fail to pro-actively remove fraudulent ads but also do little when being notified about such scams." Reyna warned fraudsters will siphon hundreds of thousands of euros daily from European consumers.
- A Google spokesperson disputed the groups' assertion, claiming the company blocks over 99% of violating ads before they run, while Meta and TikTok offered no immediate response to requests for comment.
- Complaints were filed under the Digital Services Act , which requires platforms to combat illegal content; regulators can impose fines reaching up to 6% of a company's global annual turnover.
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62 Articles
Google defends advertising safety record after Cyprus and EU scam complaints
Google has rejected claims that it is failing to tackle fraudulent advertising on its platforms, after Cyprus and European consumer groups filed a complaint against Meta, TikTok and Google over alleged breaches of the digital security authority (DSA), according to a report from Politis. The complaint was submitted on May 21 by the Cyprus consumers association, in cooperation with 281 consumer organisations from EU member states and under the coo…
With windy promises, financial fraudsters on the Internet lure naive investors into the trap. Meta, Google and Co., on the other hand, believe that consumer protectors do far too little.
UPDATE 4-Google, Meta, TikTok hit by EU consumer complaints about handling of financial scams
"Meta, TikTok and Google not only fail to proactively remove fraudulent ads but also do little when being notified about such scams," BEUC Director General Agustin Reyna said in a statement. "If they fail to address the financial scams circulating on their platforms, fraudsters will continue to reach millions of European consumers daily, leaving people at risk of losing hundreds to thousands of euros to fraud," he said.
Google and Meta rejected the complaints and claimed to work proactively to protect their users
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