Poland Asks EU to Fine Meta €250m, Urges Action Against Scams & False Ads

WARSAW (Reuters) - Poland's Minister of Digital Affairs said on Wednesday 26 August 2026 he had asked the European Commission to impose a €250 million fine on Meta, accusing the social media company of failing to adequately tackle fraudulent advertisements.

"Despite repeated reports from the relevant Polish authorities and teams responsible for cybersecurity, Meta still does not provide an effective and adequate response to fraudulent advertisements," minister Krzysztof Gawkowski posted on X.

In a letter to the European Commission, Gawkowski said that tests conducted by CERT Polska, the national cybersecurity incident response team, found 122 advertisements that were classified as fraudulent.

"In 106 cases, or 86.8% of reports, Meta concluded the case with a decision not to remove the advertisement. Only ten ads were removed and in six cases no response was provided," the minister said.

"I also call on Meta to immediately introduce effective tools to eliminate scams, false advertising, and the promotion of illegal applications."

Meta has not immediately responded to a Reuters request for comment.

Meta Platforms came under fire for allegations that its products were harmful to children and that the company was misleading the public about their safety.

In Poland, the platform was criticised for failing to effectively respond to fraudulent advertisements and sued by billionaire Rafal Brzoska over fake advertisements.

In a lawsuit filed by Brzoska, the Warsaw appellate court ruled in April 2026 that Meta was responsible for ads it hosts on its platforms. In court the platform has argued it is not responsible for the fraudulent actions of its users.