The Cyprus Consumers Association has joined 28 consumer organisations across Europe in filing a complaint against Meta, TikTok and Google over alleged failures to tackle digital scam ads on their platforms.
The complaint was submitted to the European Commission and national Digital Services Coordinators under the coordination of the European Consumer Organisation (BEUC).
Alleged violations of the Digital Services Act
According to the organisations, the three technology companies are failing to comply with obligations under the EU’s Digital Services Act (DSA), which requires platforms to actively detect and remove misleading and fraudulent advertisements.
The complaint argues that Meta, TikTok and Google have not implemented effective measures to protect users, even after being notified about scam content.
Hundreds of fraudulent ads identified
The investigation, conducted between December 2025 and March 2026 by BEUC and 13 consumer groups, identified 893 fraudulent advertisements across 13 countries.
Researchers found that:
- Meta rejected only 43% of reported scam ads
- TikTok removed 21% of flagged advertisements
- Google removed 60% of reported scam content
Consumer organisations warn that insufficient action allows fraudsters to continue extracting millions of euros from unsuspecting users across Europe.
Cyprus joins wider European action
The Cyprus Consumers Association said the continued spread of digital scam ads poses serious risks to consumers and requires immediate intervention by European and national authorities.
The organisations are calling for a full investigation and stricter enforcement of the DSA to ensure online platforms strengthen user protections and remove fraudulent content more effectively.
Pressure grows on major platforms
The complaint adds to increasing scrutiny of major digital platforms over online safety, transparency and consumer protection obligations within the European Union.
The DSA, which came fully into force across the EU in 2024, imposes stricter responsibilities on large online platforms to tackle illegal and harmful content.
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