罗德岛州起诉Meta：指其纵容诈骗广告牟利，为全美首例州级同类诉讼
Providence讯：罗德岛州10月22日在州法院起诉Meta Platforms，指控该公司纵容其Facebook、Instagram和WhatsApp平台上泛滥的诈骗广告，从中牟利，却同时向用户保证正努力保护他们。这是美国州级政府首次就诈骗广告问题起诉Meta；今年5月，加州Santa Clara县已提起类似诉讼。
诉讼由罗德岛州总检察长Peter Neronha向Providence高等法院提起，要求对Meta每一项被指违反州法的行为处以民事罚款、向消费者赔偿、追缴非法所得，并由法院下令Meta处理而非从其投放的诈骗广告中获利。Neronha在声明中说：「Meta明知脆弱用户暴露在欺诈和诈骗之下，并从中赚取了巨额利润。」
诉状引用路透社去年对Meta内部文件的报道：据这些文件，Meta每天向用户展示约150亿条「高风险」诈骗广告，其2024年收入中约10%来自欺诈性电商、可疑保健品等被禁营销。诉状举例称，有一组广告宣称能在45天内「逆转阿尔茨海默病」，其版本在Meta广告库中活跃存在的超过2,000条。诉状还指，Meta的超级智能广告工具曾主动协助诈骗者制作广告；对被系统怀疑欺诈的广告主，Meta有时不是封禁，而是加收费用。诉状称，诈骗广告常以老年人为目标。
Meta未立即就本案置评，该公司此前否认路透社的报道。Meta发言人Andy Stone曾回应称，公司「积极打击欺诈和诈骗，因为我们平台上的用户、正规广告商和我们自己都不想要这类内容」，并称相关报道是「扭曲Meta反诈做法的选择性视角」。自路透社报道后，Meta称其反诈工作已取得进展；罗德岛州则指诈骗广告在其广告库中仍随处可见。（GSM据路透社报道）
Rhode Island Sues Meta Over Alleged Tolerance of Scam Ads, in a First-of-Its-Kind State Case
Providence: Rhode Island sued Meta Platforms in state court on October 22 over the company's alleged tolerance for widespread scam advertising on its Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp platforms, accusing it of unlawfully profiting from scam ads while assuring users it was working to protect them. It is the first such scams-related case brought against Meta by a U.S. state, following a similar lawsuit filed in May by California's Santa Clara County.
The suit, filed by Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha in Providence Superior Court, seeks civil penalties for each alleged violation of state law, restitution to consumers, disgorgement of ill-gotten gains, and a court order requiring Meta to address, rather than profit from, the scam ads it delivers. "As alleged, Meta knowingly exposed vulnerable users to fraud and scams, and made enormous profits in doing so," Neronha said in a press release.
The suit cites Reuters reporting last year on internal Meta documents: according to those documents, Meta displays around 15 billion "higher risk" scam ads to users every day, and earned roughly 10% of its 2024 revenue from fraudulent e-commerce, dubious health products and other banned marketing. One set of ads promised to reverse Alzheimer's disease in 45 days, with more than 2,000 versions active in Meta's ad library, the complaint stated. Rhode Island also alleged that Meta's SI ad tools actively assisted scammers, and that instead of consistently blocking suspected fraud advertisers, Meta sometimes charged them extra as a penalty. The suit says fraudulent ads often targeted elderly people.
Meta did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the case and has disputed the Reuters reporting. Spokesman Andy Stone previously said the company "aggressively fight[s] fraud and scams because people on our platforms don't want this content, legitimate advertisers don't want it and we don't want it either," calling the reporting "a selective view that distorts Meta's approach." Meta has claimed progress on anti-scam initiatives since the reporting, but Rhode Island alleged scams remain rampant and readily findable in its ad library. (GSM, reporting from Reuters)
发布：GSM·美国（发布链接）
图片来源：图：罗德岛州议会大厦（资料图），诉讼在该州Providence高等法院提起。Farragutful摄，CC BY-SA 4.0，经维基共享资源。Photo: The Rhode Island State House (file photo); the suit was filed in Providence Superior Court. By Farragutful, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
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