OMM Redaksiyası
Poland has urged the European Union to speed up its investigation and potential penalties against Meta over fraudulent advertisements. Digital Affairs Minister Krzysztof Gawkowski said the technology company may have earned about $199 million (760 million zlotys) from such ads.
Gawkowski said the issue would be discussed during a meeting with European Commission Vice President Henna Virkkunen. The minister called for severe fines against Meta to be imposed as soon as possible. “The higher the fines, the better. There should be no concessions,” he said.
A report published on Wednesday by Poland’s Instrat think tank said fraudulent ads accounted for 10.85% of the total advertising audience on Meta’s platforms in Poland. It estimated that the company earned about $199 million from such advertisements in the year through July 2026. The amount is equivalent to roughly 37% of the annual revenue disclosed by Facebook Poland.
Instrat President Michal Hetmanski accused Meta of enabling organized criminal groups to use its platforms. He questioned whether Poland had become such a profitable market for the company that fraudulent advertisements were not being effectively restricted.
Warsaw’s pressure on the company has intensified in recent months. In August, Gawkowski asked the European Commission to impose a $287 million (250 million euros) fine on Meta. The minister alleged that the company failed to remove more than 80% of reported fraudulent ads, including those using the images of politicians, journalists and other public figures.
Meta rejected claims that it deliberately profited from fraudulent content. The company said combating fraud remained a priority and that it had removed 137,000 ads violating its rules in Poland between July 2025 and June 2026. According to the company, more than 88% of those advertisements were removed before users reported them.
The company also announced an enhanced artificial intelligence-based fraud detection system. Poland is among the first European countries where the system is being introduced.
The European Commission is already conducting a formal investigation into Meta under the Digital Services Act. Among other issues, the investigation covers the company’s policies and practices regarding deceptive advertising. The commission has previously said that additional evidence may be requested during the process and that enforcement action could follow if violations are established.
