Tech Justice Law and Tycko & Zavareei File Class Action Suit on Behalf of Consumer Federation of America and Washington D.C. Consumers Against Meta for Deceiving Users About Scam Advertising on Facebook
(Washington, D.C.) —Tech Justice Law (TJL) and Tycko & Zavareei LLP today filed a class action lawsuit on behalf of the Consumer Federation of America (CFA) and Washington D.C. consumers against Meta Platforms, Inc. in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. The suit alleges that Meta has systematically deceived Facebook users about the pervasive scam advertising on its platforms, all while knowingly profiting from this harm to the tune of billions.
“Meta has, as a matter of company policy, deliberately profited from rampant, inexcusable harm to users on its platforms,” said Sarah Kay Wiley, Attorney and Managing Director at Tech Justice Law. “Meta told its users it was fighting fraud. Internally, it was charging scammers a premium for access to those same users. That is not a failure of enforcement, that is a business model built on predatory deception.”
The complaint, filed under the D.C. Consumer Protection Procedures Act (CPPA), details how Meta publicly claims to aggressively fight fraud and scams while internally adopting policies that allow scam ads to flourish. According to internal Meta documents cited in the complaint, Meta projected in 2024 that roughly 10% of its annual revenue, approximately $16 billion, would come from advertising for scams and banned goods. On a daily basis, Meta’s own internal estimates show its platforms expose users to an estimated 15 billion “higher risk” scam advertisements every day.
Rather than blocking high-risk advertisers, Meta charged them a premium, effectively increasing its own profits by allowing bad actors greater access to its users. Internal documents also reveal that Meta restricted its ad-vetting teams from taking any action that would cost the company more than 0.15% of total revenue, and that Meta ignored or incorrectly rejected 96% of valid user reports of fraudulent activity on its platforms each week.
The complaint further alleges that Meta actively manipulated its public “Ad Library” database to make search results appear cleaner to regulators, a tactic Meta codified into a “general global playbook” deployed against regulatory scrutiny worldwide, including in the United States.
The complaint seeks damages, restitution of illegal profits, and a permanent injunction prohibiting Meta from continuing to mislead D.C. residents about the risks of using its platforms.
If you are a D.C. resident who has been scammed by an advertisement on Facebook, please reach out to info@techjusticelaw.org.
For press inquires please reach out to media@techjusticelaw.org.
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