Us virgin islands: The US Virgin Islands has filed a lawsuit against Meta, accusing the company and its platforms, Instagram and Facebook, of profiting from fraudulent advertising and failing to protect children from harm. According to a statement from the territory's Justice Department issued on Monday, the legal action aims to address the 'well-being and safety' of thousands of children using Meta's platforms. The Virgin Islands joins numerous other US jurisdictions in pursuing litigation against the company.
According to Anadolu Agency, the Virgin Islands' lawsuit is part of a broader initiative, joining 42 other state attorneys general who have taken Meta to court for its alleged failures to protect children and disclose the risks associated with its platforms. The Virgin Islands aims to expand these efforts by holding Meta accountable for allegedly facilitating and profiting from widespread fraud on its platforms. The department claims that Meta identified scam advertisements but continued to charge fraudsters higher fees to keep the ads running rather than removing them.
The department's statement highlighted that Meta projected a significant portion of its future revenue would come from fraudulent ads, estimating that 10% of its revenue in 2025, around $16 billion, would derive from such ads. It also pointed out that the company privately acknowledged its platforms were responsible for a significant portion of successful scams in the United States. The lawsuit claims that Meta allowed fraudsters to exploit its algorithms and user data to target vulnerable users, including the elderly.
Authorities further accused Meta of employing algorithms that discourage teens from controlling their social media usage, thereby fostering addiction, problematic use, and mental health issues such as anxiety, depression, self-harm, and suicide. As of now, Meta has not issued an official response to the lawsuit. However, in a statement on Dec. 3, the company mentioned that it had removed over 134 million scam ads from its platforms in 2025 and supported law enforcement efforts to apprehend scammers.