Meta estimates that around 10% of its total 2024 revenue (roughly $16 billion) came from scam-related advertising, with its platforms delivering about 15 billion high-risk ads per day. These figures come from leaked internal documents obtained by Reuters(nieuw venster) and include scams, counterfeit goods, and other policy-violating promotions.
But instead of blocking these these “higher risk” scam ads, most of them were simply waved through. Meta only blocks ads that its automated systems were at least 95% confident to be committing fraud. The documents also show that Meta capped how much revenue its enforcement teams could cost the company, indicating that revenue protection was a major consideration in anti-fraud decisions.
Meta’s internal data suggest its platforms were involved in roughly one-third of all successful scams in the US. And in the UK, regulators found Meta responsible for more than half of all social-media-related scam losses.
Big Tech often justifies its intrusive surveillance and targeted advertising tactics by arguing that personalized ads are more relevant for consumers. However, this investigation makes a mockery of such claims.
So what can you do about it?
Meta makes billions of dollars of revenue by learning everything it can about you, then using that information to target you with ever-more personalized ads. It’s nearly impossible to stop Meta from collecting your data entirely unless you simply don’t use its services, which includes Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram, Horizon Worlds, and more (and even that doesn’t entirely prevent Meta from tracking(nieuw venster) and profiling you).
However, thanks to regulatory pressure (such EU’s GDPR and UK Data Protection Act) and other factors (such as managing reputational damage) we can prevent some Meta apps and services from using this information to target us with personalized ads.
You’re much less likely to make a purchase through untargeted ads, which makes them nowhere near as profitable for Meta as targeted ones. So by turning them off, you’re at least making a protest that hits Meta where it hurts; its pocket.
In truth, even when you limit targeted advertising, Facebook can still show you contextual ads based on general information like age, location, or browsing history. So ads are just less personalized.
How to turn off Meta’s targeted ads
Go to the Meta Accounts Center(nieuw venster) and sign in with your Meta account (for example your Facebook or Instagram account) → Account settings → Ad preferences → Mange info tab.
From here, you can limit the types of information that Meta can use to target you with ads.
How to subscribe to Meta without targeted ads (Europe only)
If you live in the European Region(nieuw venster), you can opt to pay to use Facebook and Instagram without targeted ads(nieuw venster). To do this:
- Go to the Meta Accounts Center(nieuw venster) and sign in with your Meta account (for example your Facebook or Instagram account) → Account settings → Ad preferences. Under the Manage ads tab, select Ads on Meta Products.
- Select Subscribe to use without ads.
Final thoughts
Meta’s business model depends on harvesting your personal data to fuel a massive advertising machine — one that internal records show tolerates billions of scam ads. Turning off personalized ads won’t stop all of Meta’s tracking or its ads, but it’s one way of reducing your exposure and pushing back against such invasive practices .
Limiting targeted ads means you reduce the effectiveness (and possibly the profitability) of Meta’s surveillance-based ad system — basically Meta earns less from your attention. It’s a small but meaningful signal to regulators and platforms alike that you care as about your data rights. No setting or toggle switch can guarantee your privacy if you use Meta, but this can help chip away (if only a little) at the financial incentives driving Meta’s invasive advertising practices.
