EU Consumer Groups File DSA Complaints Against Google, Meta, and TikTok Over Scam Ads

Investigation findings: nearly 900 suspected scam ads

The complaints rely on evidence gathered by consumer organisations in 13 European countries. During the investigation, researchers documented 893 examples of suspected scam advertisements promoting fraudulent financial schemes.

Key findings from the evidence-gathering effort include:

• Screenshots of suspected scam ads were collected between December 2025 and March 2026.
• The ads appeared across platforms operated by Google, Meta, and TikTok.
• Only about 27% of the nearly 900 ads were removed after they were reported to the platforms.

Consumer groups argue that the low removal rate suggests the platforms’ enforcement systems are failing to respond effectively to reports of financial fraud.

How the platforms responded

Public reporting indicates that Google removed around 60% of the ads that were directly reported to it once it became aware of them.

However, consumer advocates say the broader response across platforms remains inadequate because many suspected scam ads remained online or continued circulating after detection. The complaints emphasize that large platforms should be able to identify and remove such ads more proactively rather than relying primarily on external reporting.

Detailed public responses from Meta and TikTok were limited in the reporting surrounding the complaints.

Why the Digital Services Act matters

The case is significant because the complaints were filed under the EU Digital Services Act, a major regulatory framework designed to hold large online platforms accountable for illegal content and systemic risks online.

Under the DSA, very large platforms must:

• Assess and mitigate risks linked to illegal content and fraud
• Provide transparency about how they moderate content and advertising
• Act more quickly when harmful or illegal material is identified

The law is already producing large-scale oversight activity. For example, platforms reported more than 9 billion content moderation decisions in the first half of 2025, with the vast majority taken proactively under their own policies.

Consumer groups argue that the persistence of scam investment advertising demonstrates why stronger enforcement may be needed.

What could happen next

Because the complaints were filed with both the European Commission and national authorities, regulators may now review the evidence to determine whether the companies violated DSA obligations.

If authorities conclude that the platforms failed to properly address fraudulent advertising risks, the process could lead to formal investigations or enforcement actions under EU law.

The complaints therefore represent another major test of how aggressively the European Union intends to enforce the Digital Services Act against some of the world’s largest technology companies.