EU Complaints Target Google, Meta and TikTok Over Scam Ads
Consumer Groups Accuse Big Tech Platforms of Failing to Stop Financial Fraud Across Europe
Major technology companies including Google, Meta, and TikTok are facing mounting legal and regulatory pressure in Europe after consumer organizations filed formal complaints accusing them of failing to adequately remove fraudulent financial advertisements from their platforms.
The complaints were submitted by the European Consumer Organisation (BEUC) together with 29 consumer groups from 27 European countries under the European Union’s Digital Services Act (DSA), one of the world’s toughest laws governing online platforms and harmful digital content.
According to the consumer groups, the platforms allowed large numbers of scam advertisements promoting fake investments, fraudulent cryptocurrency schemes, high-return financial products, and deceptive loan offers to circulate widely among European users. Investigators reportedly flagged nearly 900 suspicious advertisements between December 2025 and March 2026, but only about 27% were removed by the platforms, while more than half of the complaints were either ignored or rejected.
Consumer advocates argue that the issue is no longer merely about isolated fraudulent posts but about a systemic failure in the online advertising ecosystem. Under the DSA, very large online platforms are legally required to proactively mitigate risks posed by illegal and harmful content, including scams and financial fraud. BEUC claims the companies are not meeting those obligations despite publicly claiming strong anti-scam protections.
In a strongly worded statement, BEUC Director General Agustín Reyna alleged that the platforms “do little” even after receiving reports about fraudulent advertisements. The organization warned that millions of European consumers remain exposed daily to sophisticated scam operations capable of causing losses ranging from hundreds to thousands of euros per victim.
The controversy highlights a growing global confrontation between regulators and large technology companies over responsibility for harmful online content. European regulators increasingly view scam advertising not simply as a criminal issue, but as a structural platform-governance problem tied to algorithms, advertising revenue models, and weak moderation systems.
The platforms, however, strongly reject the accusations. Google stated that the complaints “misrepresent” its anti-fraud efforts and said the company blocks more than 99% of policy-violating advertisements before users ever see them. Meta said it removed more than 159 million scam advertisements during the past year, most before they were reported by users, while TikTok described online scams as an “industry-wide challenge” requiring constant adaptation against evolving fraud tactics.
Despite these defenses, regulators are under pressure to intensify enforcement. Under the DSA, companies found in violation can face penalties of up to 6% of their global annual revenue — a potentially massive financial risk for major tech firms. Consumer groups are now demanding formal investigations by the European Commission and national digital regulators.
The issue also exposes how rapidly online scams are evolving in the AI era. Fraudsters increasingly use deepfake videos, cloned celebrity endorsements, manipulated investment testimonials, and AI-generated identities to create convincing scam campaigns that spread quickly through targeted advertising systems. Experts warn that emotional manipulation and algorithmic amplification are becoming central tools of modern cyber fraud.
European authorities have already begun tightening scrutiny of major platforms over child safety, addictive algorithms, misinformation, and illegal advertising practices. The latest complaints could become another landmark test of the Digital Services Act’s real enforcement power against Big Tech.
The broader political message emerging from Brussels is increasingly clear: online platforms may no longer be allowed to profit from digital advertising systems while avoiding responsibility for the financial and psychological harm caused by scams spreading through their networks.
