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Thailand to Sue Meta Over Facebook Scam Ads in Consumer Protection Push

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Thailand’s consumer watchdog is preparing legal action against Meta, alleging that Facebook has failed to adequately prevent scammers from using the platform to defraud users through fraudulent advertisements and fake online schemes.

According to the Consumer Council of Thailand, thousands of complaints linked to Facebook have been recorded over the past two years, ranging from undelivered online purchases and fake investment opportunities to identity impersonation and deceptive pages designed to mislead consumers. The regulator argues that repeated efforts to engage with Meta and request the removal of fraudulent advertisements have not produced sufficient action.

The planned lawsuit reflects a broader global trend in which governments are increasingly holding digital platforms accountable not only for hosting illegal content, but also for the real-world financial harm that can result from algorithm-driven advertising ecosystems.

Consumer advocates argue that social media companies possess sophisticated targeting and moderation technologies and therefore should bear greater responsibility when scam campaigns repeatedly reach large audiences. Meta, meanwhile, has consistently stated that it invests heavily in fraud detection systems and works with regulators and law enforcement agencies to combat online abuse.

With roughly 51 million Facebook users in Thailand, the case could have significant implications for platform governance in Southeast Asia. A successful lawsuit may encourage regulators in other jurisdictions to pursue similar legal strategies aimed at strengthening consumer protections and forcing stricter oversight of online advertising systems.

The dispute also highlights the evolving legal landscape facing major technology companies. Beyond traditional content moderation debates, courts and regulators are increasingly examining whether platforms have a broader duty of care to actively prevent financial fraud facilitated through their services.

If the case proceeds, it could become another important test of how far governments can require social media platforms to assume responsibility for user safety in the digital economy.

Italy Closes Probe Into DeepSeek After Commitments to Warn Users of AI “Hallucination” Risks

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Italy’s antitrust authority has closed an investigation into Chinese artificial intelligence system DeepSeek after the company agreed to binding commitments aimed at improving warnings about the risk of AI-generated false information.

The probe, launched last June by Italy’s antitrust and consumer protection authority AGCM, focused on allegations that DeepSeek failed to adequately inform users that its AI system could generate inaccurate, misleading, or fabricated content — commonly referred to as “hallucinations.”

The decision to end the investigation was announced in the AGCM’s weekly bulletin published on Monday. According to the regulator, the commitments were submitted by Hangzhou DeepSeek Artificial Intelligence and Beijing DeepSeek Artificial Intelligence, which jointly own and operate the DeepSeek platform.

The agreed measures include clearer and more prominent disclosures explaining the risk that, based on user inputs, the AI model may produce outputs containing incorrect or invented information. The AGCM said the new disclosures are designed to be more transparent, intelligible, and immediately visible to users.

“The commitments presented by DeepSeek make disclosures about the risk of hallucinations easier, more transparent, intelligible, and immediate,” the authority said in its bulletin.

The case highlights growing regulatory scrutiny across Europe over how AI systems communicate their limitations to users, particularly as generative AI tools become more widely adopted in consumer-facing applications.

Telstra Fined $12 Million for Secretly Slowing Internet Speeds of Nearly 9,000 Customers

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Australia’s largest telecommunications company, Telstra, has been ordered to pay A$18 million (about $11.9 million) after a court found it misled thousands of customers by reducing their internet speeds without informing them, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) announced on Friday.

According to the ACCC, Telstra migrated 8,897 customers from its low-cost brand Belong to a plan with half the original upload speed between October and November 2020, without any notification or consent. This left users unknowingly paying for a downgraded service.

“Telstra’s failure to inform customers that their broadband service had been changed denied them the opportunity to decide whether the changed service was suitable for their needs,” said ACCC Commissioner Anna Brakey. The regulator emphasized that customers deserve transparency and control over the quality of the services they pay for.

Beyond the fine, Telstra has committed to compensating affected customers, offering A$15 credits or refunds for every month they were on the reduced-speed plan. A Telstra spokesperson told Reuters that the company accepted the court’s decision and was finalizing remediation efforts.

The ruling adds to growing regulatory scrutiny of Australia’s telecom sector, particularly after Optus—one of Telstra’s main competitors—suffered two emergency call outages last month, one of which was linked to four deaths.

On the market, Telstra shares fell 0.7% following the announcement, while the broader Australian benchmark index (.AXJO) rose 0.5%.

The case underscores how digital infrastructure providers are increasingly being held accountable for consumer transparency and service integrity, as Australia tightens oversight over its critical communications networks.