Polish deputy PM urges EU to fine Meta €250 million over scam ads

Poland's Deputy Prime Minister Krzysztof Gawkowski has publicly called on the European Union to impose a fine on technology and advertising company Meta. In his view, an appropriate penalty would amount to €250 million, tied to financial scam schemes that are being spread through advertisements on the company's platforms.

Meta is the corporation behind widely used social media platforms, including Facebook and Instagram, which are also used by advertisers across Europe, including in Poland. The way advertisements are placed and vetted on these platforms appears to be at the center of Gawkowski's criticism, as he suggests the company has not done enough to prevent fraudulent financial ads from circulating.

Call directed at the EU

The statement from the Polish official suggests that Warsaw wants the European Union to take a firmer stance against major technology companies whose platforms host misleading or fraudulent advertisements, particularly those tied to financial offers that can cause direct harm to users.

At this stage, publicly available information does not clarify whether the European Commission or other EU bodies have formally responded to Gawkowski's call or launched any investigation into Meta on this matter. It is also not specified what precise legal basis would be used to request or impose such a fine.