Background and Relevance of the Person Mentioned
Donald Trump, a former U.S. president, is central to this news article. His likeness has been used in deceptive political ads, highlighting the growing concern about misinformation and deepfake technology.
Key Findings by Tech Transparency Project (TTP)
Fraudulent Advertisers and Spending:
- The non-profit organization Tech Transparency Project (TTP) identified 63 fraudulent advertisers who collectively spent $49 million on Facebook and Instagram.
- These ads targeted tens of thousands of users, often older individuals, promoting false stimulus checks, public spending cards, or medical payment claims.
Use of AI and Deepfake Technology:
- Scammers are leveraging advancements in AI technology, public confusion about social security programs, and Meta’s lax content moderation to target new victims.
- An example includes an advertiser using a fake video of Donald Trump promising false stimulus checks to American citizens.
Meta’s Response and Policies
Ad Policy Enforcement:
- Meta prohibits scams and claims to invest in preventing deceptive ads, yet fraudulent activities persist.
- For political advertising in the U.S., advertisers must undergo a special authorization process, requiring official identification and a U.S. postal address.
Action Against Fraudulent Ads:
- Meta removed over 150,000 political ads in the past year for violating their publishing terms.
- Despite this, nearly half of the 63 advertisers continued promoting these scams until recently.
Delayed Account Suspension:
- Meta only disabled 35 business accounts after they posted numerous (sometimes hundreds) of deceptive ads.
- Six accounts spent over a million dollars before being deactivated or removed.
Specific Case: Trump-Related Deceptive Ad
Misleading Ad Content:
- An advertiser used a fake video of Donald Trump promising false stimulus checks to American citizens.
- The ad targeted men and women over 65 in more than 20 states.
Discrepancy in Video Content:
- Although the video aligned with Trump’s early April speech, the words in the ad did not match the official transcript.
Growing Online Fraud and Identity Theft Concerns
The recent findings underscore the escalating online fraud issue, with increasing numbers of American adults experiencing internet scams or identity theft attempts.
