Facebook has a health scam problem | eKathimerini.com
2026-05-07
Ekathimerini
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Meta's AI-driven ad platforms have facilitated billions of scam ads, including dangerous health products, causing financial and health harm to users. Internal documents reveal AI chatbots permitted sexual banter with children. Meanwhile, Meta deploys AI to estimate user age and protect minors, but risks of privacy violations and wrongful exclusion remain.[AI generated]
Why's our monitor labelling this an incident or hazard?
The Facebook ad platform uses AI systems for targeted advertising, which is explicitly involved in the dissemination of hundreds of thousands of scam ads for dangerous and illegal health products. These ads have reached hundreds of millions of users and have promoted products that can cause serious health harm, such as drugs linked to heart attacks, strokes, and cancer. The AI system's role in targeting and delivering these ads is pivotal in enabling this harm. The harm is indirect but real, as vulnerable users are misled into purchasing harmful products. The report also highlights Meta's inconsistent enforcement, allowing the harmful ads to persist. This fits the definition of an AI Incident because the AI system's use has directly or indirectly led to harm to people's health.[AI generated]