"Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, calculated that over $3 billion of its Chinese-funded ad revenue came from scams. Around 19% of the money generated by advertising from Chinese companies was directly tied to illegal gambling, pornography, and other banned content, according to internal Meta documents reviewed by Reuters. Though Meta apps are banned for public use in China, the government has allowed businesses to advertise to foreign consumers on the sites."
"The team reduced fraudulent ads by about 10% in the second half of that year, until they were asked to pause work as a result of an Integrity Strategy pivot and follow-up from Zuck, referring to Meta Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg. Documents obtained by Reuters do not clarify the meaning or purpose of the pivot, though they do show that the team was fully disbanded soon after Zuckerberg weighed in, and that Meta lifted a freeze on giving access to new Chinese ad agencies."
Meta calculated that over $3 billion of Chinese-funded ad revenue was linked to scams. Approximately 19% of advertising revenue from Chinese companies was tied to illegal gambling, pornography, and other banned content. Chinese ads grew to represent over a tenth of Meta's revenue, about $18 billion. Meta reviews showed over a quarter of scam-related ads originated from China, prompting the creation of an anti-fraud team in 2024 after staffers pushed for investment to reduce harm. The team reduced fraudulent ads by about 10% in late 2024 but was paused and later disbanded after an Integrity Strategy pivot and executive input. As of mid-2025, about 16% of Chinese-funded ad revenue was classified as scams.
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