Poland urges EU to fine Meta $291M over fraudulent ads

Poland’s digital affairs minister on Thursday called on the European Commission to impose a €250-million ($291-million) fine on Meta over fraudulent advertisements and harmful content targeting Polish users.

“This Wild West on the platform must end,” Krzysztof Gawkowski said on US social media company X.

“I also call on Meta to immediately introduce effective tools to eliminate scams, false advertising, and the promotion of illegal applications,” he added.

“Inaction and failure to effectively combat harmful advertisements and fraudulent content targeting Polish users will not be tolerated.”

Gawkowski also published part of a letter addressed to Henna Virkkunen, the European Commission’s executive vice president for tech sovereignty, security and democracy.

“The scale of this phenomenon points to a significant problem with the way advertising works on one of the largest online platforms in the European single market,” the letter said.

It added that Meta had failed to take effective action despite repeated reports from Polish authorities and cybersecurity teams.

The appeal followed renewed concern over deepfake content after an AI-generated video impersonating Polish President Karol Nawrocki and promoting a fraudulent investment scheme reportedly circulated on Facebook.

Polish billionaire Rafal Brzoska, founder of parcel delivery company InPost, also recently criticized the unauthorized use of his image in fraudulent advertisements on Meta-owned platforms.

Meta said combating fraudulent advertising was “one of the most complex challenges currently facing digital ecosystems,” requiring cooperation among platforms, governments and law enforcement agencies.

The company said it removed around 137,000 advertisements originating in Poland between July 2025 and June 2026 for violating its fraud and scam policies, with more than 88% taken down before users reported them.

Gawkowski, however, said Meta had not presented convincing or effective measures to protect users.