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Meta Fails to Block Illegal UK Finance Ads

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Meta has repeatedly failed to stop illegal advertisements for high-risk financial products in Britain, despite previously committing to block them, according to a review by the UK’s Financial Conduct Authority.

The regulator found that in a single week in November, 1,052 ads for foreign exchange trading and complex financial products appeared on Meta platforms from advertisers not authorized to promote them. More than half of those ads were linked to unauthorised advertisers the FCA had already flagged to Meta.

The findings add to growing pressure on the company to do more to stop scam-related financial promotions on Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp. British authorities say social media platforms have become a major source of fraud targeting consumers with risky investment schemes and misleading trading offers.

The FCA said it has continued testing Meta’s systems and has not seen a meaningful improvement. Meta responded by saying it acts aggressively against fraud and removes most reported violations within days, while arguing that it has ongoing safeguards in place.

The issue is especially sensitive in Britain because regulators currently have limited power to punish platforms for paid scam ads. While the Online Safety Act is being introduced, the section allowing direct action against paid fraudulent ads is not expected to take effect until at least 2027.

The case has renewed calls for stronger enforcement and faster action from technology companies, with critics arguing that scam advertising remains too easy to run in the UK compared with countries such as Australia, where stricter financial ad verification rules already apply.

TikTok Charged with Breaching EU Content Rules Under Digital Services Act

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TikTok has been formally charged by EU regulators with violating the Digital Services Act (DSA), a sweeping content regulation law aimed at increasing transparency and accountability for major online platforms. The European Commission’s preliminary findings, released Thursday, could expose TikTok’s parent company ByteDance to a fine of up to 6% of global turnover.

Key Allegations:

The European Commission said TikTok has failed to:

  • Publish a comprehensive ad repository, as required by the DSA, which would allow researchers and users to detect scam and manipulative advertisements.

  • Provide clear data on ad content, targeting practices, and disclosure of the entity behind each ad.

  • Ensure full ad transparency, a core DSA obligation to combat disinformation and exploitative practices.

“Transparency in online advertising — who pays and how audiences are targeted — is essential to safeguarding the public interest,” said Henna Virkkunen, EU digital policy chief.

TikTok’s Response:

TikTok said it supports the goals of the DSA and is working to improve its ad transparency tools. However, it disagreed with the Commission’s interpretation and criticized the lack of clear, public guidance:

“Guidance is being delivered via preliminary findings rather than clear, public guidelines,” a spokesperson said. “A level playing field and consistent enforcement are essential.”

What’s Next:

  • TikTok now has the opportunity to review the evidence and submit a written response before the Commission makes a final decision.

  • If found guilty of breaching the DSA, ByteDance could face financial penalties and further scrutiny over how it manages online advertising and content moderation.

  • TikTok is also under a separate EU investigation into its election-related risk management practices.

The case marks a significant escalation in the EU’s efforts to enforce the DSA, which came into effect in 2023 to curb harmful content, improve transparency, and hold tech giants accountable for the societal impact of their platforms.