Crowds of residents raid three giant fraud warehouses

Jakarta, CNBC Indonesia - Three technology giants—Google, Meta, and TikTok—are accused of failing to protect users from financial fraud on their platforms. A complaint from BEUC, the European Consumer Organisation, says the three companies have not removed fraudulent advertisements. The group and its 29 member organisations across 27 countries filed the complaint under the Digital Services Act, which requires large online platforms to do more to tackle illegal and harmful content. ‘Meta, TikTok, and Google are deemed to have failed to proactively remove fraudulent ads, and also to have done little when informed of the fraud,’ said BEUC Director General Agustín Reyna, quoted by Reuters on Friday (22 May 2026). Furthermore, Reyna said users stand to lose significant sums because the platforms have failed to address the fraud on their platforms. ‘If they fail to address the financial fraud present on their platforms, the fraudsters will continue to reach millions of European consumers every day, putting people at risk of losing hundreds to thousands of euros to fraud,’ he added. Google rejected the report and claimed to have removed more than 99% of ads that violated policy before users saw them. ‘We take extensive steps to prevent fraud on our platforms, blocking more than 99% of policy-violating ads before they are viewed,’ said a Google spokesperson. Meta also disputed the report. The parent of Instagram and Facebook said it had removed more than 159 million fraudulent ads last year, with 92% not previously reported. The company also said it uses AI to curb scam-related advertisements. ‘We are investing in advanced AI, tools and partnerships to stop them,’ said a Meta spokesperson. Meanwhile, TikTok said it takes action against violations. The company concedes that fraud is an industry challenge and that perpetrators can continue to adjust the tactics they use.