A recent report by Juniper Research indicates that European social media users encountered scam advertisements a staggering 993 billion times in 2025. The findings, commissioned by the financial services provider Revolut, highlight the extensive reach and impact of fraudulent ads across social media platforms. With social media companies estimated to have earned approximately 4.4 billion euros from these scams in the same year, the report raises serious concerns about the effectiveness of current measures taken to combat this issue.

The research reveals that Meta, the parent company of Facebook, only blocks ads when there is a 95% risk of fraud, suggesting that they consider the fines associated with scam ads to be less than their earnings from them. This practice raises moral and ethical questions about the responsibility of social media companies towards their users. As per the projections in the report, if the trend continues unchecked, the number of scam ads seen by users could balloon to 1.4 trillion by 2030, raising alarm about the potential for widespread deception and financial loss for consumers.

The report, titled "Protecting Users from Scam Ads: A Call for Social Media Platform Accountability," calls for greater accountability from social media platforms in preventing the spread of fraudulent advertisements. As users face increasing exposure to scams, the implications for consumer trust and safety in digital environments are profound, prompting a critical reassessment of regulatory frameworks and platform responsibilities to protect users effectively.