Facebook and Instagram Ads Push Gun Silencers Disguised as Car Parts
www.wired.com
A network of Facebook pages has been advertising “fuel filters” that are actually meant to be used as silencers, which are heavily regulated by US law. Even US military officials are concerned.

Summary

Thousands of Facebook and Instagram ads have illegally marketed gun silencers disguised as “fuel filters,” violating U.S. federal law and Meta’s ad policies.

These devices, linked to a Chinese drop-shipping network, are sold for as little as $50 and promoted using recycled videos and stolen content.

Despite some ad removals, new campaigns quickly reappear, targeting niche audiences, including military personnel.

The ads have sparked legal, cybersecurity, and national security concerns, with critics citing Meta’s insufficient transparency and moderation tools.

  • Snot Flickerman@lemmy.blahaj.zoneEnglish
    161·
    3 days ago

    Right, it’s not that they can’t, it’s that they don’t want to because if they actually cut all the grift they probably wouldn’t be profitable. Especially Meta, since no one gives a fuck about the Metaverse and they just had to pull their AI profiles because of bad response to them. Seriously adding fake profiles to their services because they need to pump engagement numbers, that means they’re failing if they’re turning to these absurd kind of tricks to keep engagement afloat. Being forced to regulate them would likely put them out of business.

    Here’s an example from Ed Zitron:

    In 2017, the document notes that engagement metrics started to dive, but the company’s focus on “Time Spent” meant that nobody noticed because the number that Mark Zuckerberg cared about went up, until the alarm was sound and Facebook moved to “Sessions.”