BEUC files complaints against Google, Meta and TikTok over ad fraud

Major technology platforms Google, Meta, and TikTok face formal complaints from European consumer groups for allegedly failing to protect users from financial fraud on their services. The complaints, filed with the European Commission and national regulators, accuse the companies of not doing enough to combat fraudulent advertisements and scams under the European Union's Digital Services Act.

The European Consumer Organisation, known as BEUC, and 29 of its member groups across 27 countries submitted the filings. They argue that the platforms are not meeting their legal obligations to tackle illegal content. BEUC Director General Agustín Reyna stated that the companies not only fail to proactively remove fraudulent ads but also do little when notified about such scams. He warned that if the platforms fail to act, fraudsters will continue to reach millions of consumers daily, putting people at risk of significant financial loss.

The consumer groups cited specific data from a monitoring period between December and March, during which they reported nearly 900 advertisements suspected of violating EU law. According to their analysis, the platforms removed only 27 percent of those...