Google, Meta, TikTok face EU complaints over financial scam protections
The tech giants were named in a complaint filed by European consumer groups, alleging violations of the Digital Services Act.
Google, Meta, TikTok face EU complaints over financial scam protections | Mashable
The European Consumer Organisation calls on regulators to investigate tech giants over growing scam ads. Credit: Samuel Boivin / Shutterstock
Tech giants Google, Meta, and TikTok are facing European scrutiny for their alleged role in a growing number of financial scams targeting users. The three companies are accused of failing to proactively remove fraudulent ads from their platforms and notify users in an appropriate manner, outlined in complaints filed to regulators by the European Consumer Organisation (BEUC) and 29 of its members in 27 European countries, Reuters reported. SEE ALSO: Child safety organizations accuse Roblox of violating FTC rules The consumer group flagged 900 ads that they deemed violated EU laws, but said that only 27 percent of those ads were removed by platforms. More than half of the reports were rejected or ignored. You May Also Like
The complaints were submitted under the EU's Digital Services Act, and regulators could levy hefty fines if the companies are found in violation. Mashable Light Speed Want more out-of-this world tech, space and science stories? Sign up for Mashable's weekly Light Speed newsletter. Loading... Sign Me Up
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By clicking Sign Me Up, you confirm you are 16+ and agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Thanks for signing up! "This complaint misrepresents how we fight scams and is inherently flawed. We take extensive measures to keep scams off our platforms, blocking over 99% of policy-violating ads before they are ever seen," a Google spokesperson said in comment to the press. "We invest in advanced AI, tools, and partnerships to stop them. Last year we found and removed over 159 million scam ads, 92% before anyone reported them to us," Meta responded.Meta was recently accused of making tens of millions of dollars off of scam ads targeting older Americans and Medicare recipients. Last year, a Reuters investigation found that Meta made billions from fraudulent ads, also referred to as "high risk" advertising. AI-powered scams are proliferating across platforms, including Google-owned YouTube and TikTok. Related Stories What are romance scams and how can you avoid them? Meta made $14 million just off of these scam ads Here's how Google Search is changing forever Google I/O 2026: The good, the bad, and the mind-blowing TikTok is launching an ad-free version in the UK
The Digital Services Act — a broad set of laws that impose more transparent reporting and consumer protections on online service providers — went into effect in 2022. Since then, the European Union has initiated multiple inquiries against large tech companies, including a recent Google antitrust probe, an investigation into Meta's child safety policies, and a sweeping audit of TikTok's algorithm and data policies. UPDATE: May. 21, 2026, 4:18 p.m. This story was updated with a new statement from Google.
Topics Google TikTok Meta Scams
Chase DiBenedetto Social Good Reporter Chase joined Mashable's Social Good team in 2020, covering online stories about digital activism, climate justice, accessibility, and media representation. Her work also captures how these conversations manifest in politics, popular culture, and fandom. Sometimes she's very funny.
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