Technologies

Meta Allegedly Profited by $16B From Scam Ads. US Senators Demand FTC, SEC Probe

The lawmakers say Meta’s platforms may be implicated in «about a third of all US scams» and linked to more than $50 billion in consumer losses last year.

US Senators Josh Hawley and Richard Blumenthal are calling for an investigation into Meta over its alleged role in profiting from scam-laden advertisements on Facebook and Instagram. The demand follows a Reuters investigation reportedly based on internal Meta documents that estimated that nearly 10% of Meta’s 2024 revenue — about $16 billion — came from alleged «illicit advertising.»

In a letter to the Federal Trade Commission and the Securities and Exchange Commission, the lawmakers urged regulators to «immediately open investigations and, if the reporting is accurate, pursue vigorous enforcement action … to force Meta to disgorge profits, pay penalties and agree to cease running such advertisements.»

One document reportedly alleged that Meta earned $3.5 billion in just six months from what it classified as «higher-risk» scam ads.

The same internal records reportedly suggested that many ads allegedly violating fraud rules were permitted to run because they «did not apply to many ads… [that staff] believed ‘violated the spirit’ of its rules against scam advertising.»

Meta denies all of these allegations.

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Why this matters for you

The scale of this alleged fraud raises serious concerns about Meta’s business model. Many question whether the company is doing enough to police its ad ecosystem, given that a major revenue stream appears to be tied to deceptive or outright fraudulent campaigns.

The senators allege that Meta’s lax enforcement — combined with the continued presence of gambling ads, payment scams, political deepfakes and other dangerous content in its public Ad Library — underscores significant risks.

In their letter, Hawley and Blumenthal highlighted that reducing reports of scam ads by 58% over 18 months — as Meta says — may not tell the whole story. They pointed to broader trends that, according to their own reading of the documents, Meta’s platforms may be allegedly implicated in «about a third of all US scams» and linked to more than $50 billion in consumer losses last year.

What Meta is saying

Meta responded defensively to this call for investigation.

Meta spokesman Andy Stone criticized the senators’ allegations as «exaggerated and wrong,» insisting that the company «aggressively fights fraud and scams because people on our platforms don’t want this content, legitimate advertisers don’t want it, and we don’t want it either.»

Ongoing misinformation on Meta platforms

Among the more provocative allegations is that some of the scam ads impersonate government figures or political leaders. The senators point to specific examples, including a bogus advertisement that falsely claimed President Donald Trump was offering $1,000 to food assistance recipients.

They also raise concerns that foreign cybercrime groups based in countries such as China, Sri Lanka, Vietnam and the Philippines could be behind many of the scam campaigns.

In general, the senators’ push for FTC and SEC action seeks accountability for a social media giant whose ad system may be fueling fraud at an unprecedented scale, though Meta publicly underscores its commitment to user safety. With so much of Meta’s business potentially tied to high-risk ads, the outcome of any investigation could reshape not only its practices but also broader regulatory expectations for major tech companies going forward.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Strands Hints, Answers and Help for Jan. 24 #692

Here are hints and answers for the NYT Strands puzzle for Jan. 24, No. 692.

Looking for the most recent Strands answer? Click here for our daily Strands hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle, Connections and Connections: Sports Edition puzzles.

Today’s NYT Strands puzzle is one of those where the answers only make sense in pairs. There are six answers to find, and each of them matches up with one of the other answers. Some of them are difficult to unscramble, so if you need hints and answers, read on.

I go into depth about the rules for Strands in this story.

If you’re looking for today’s Wordle, Connections and Mini Crossword answers, you can visit CNET’s NYT puzzle hints page.

Read more: NYT Connections Turns 1: These Are the 5 Toughest Puzzles So Far

Hint for today’s Strands puzzle

Today’s Strands theme is: A work of art.

If that doesn’t help you, here’s a clue: On museum walls.

Clue words to unlock in-game hints

Your goal is to find hidden words that fit the puzzle’s theme. If you’re stuck, find any words you can. Every time you find three words of four letters or more, Strands will reveal one of the theme words. These are the words I used to get those hints but any words of four or more letters that you find will work:

FINS, FINE, FINES, GARB, BOAT, GATES, GATES, FIST, RATE, RATS, STAR, PAINT, SILL, SPAT

Answers for today’s Strands puzzle

These are the answers that tie into the theme. The goal of the puzzle is to find them all, including the spangram, a theme word that reaches from one side of the puzzle to the other. When you have all of them (I originally thought there were always eight but learned that the number can vary), every letter on the board will be used. Here are the nonspangram answers:

STARRY, NIGHT, WATER, LILIES, BOATING, PARTY

Today’s Strands spangram

Today’s Strands spangram is FAMOUSPAINTING. To find it, start with the F that’s four letters down on the far-left vertical row, and wind up, across, and then down.

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Toughest Strands puzzles

Here are some of the Strands topics I’ve found to be the toughest.

#1: Dated slang. Maybe you didn’t even use this lingo when it was cool. Toughest word: PHAT.

#2: Thar she blows! I guess marine biologists might ace this one. Toughest word: BALEEN or RIGHT.

#3: Off the hook. Again, it helps to know a lot about sea creatures. Sorry, Charlie. Toughest word: BIGEYE or SKIPJACK.

Technologies

San Diego Comic-Con Draws a Line: No AI Art Allowed at 2026 Event

The long-running fan convention is banning AI-created works from its popular art show.

Like Sarah Connor in The Terminator, San Diego Comic-Con is fighting back against AI. The prestigious, long-running pop culture convention has banned all artwork created by artificial intelligence from the 2026 Comic-Con art show. Rules posted on the Comic-Con website now state that AI-generated art won’t be shown in any form.

«Material created by Artificial Intelligence (AI) either partially or wholly, is not allowed in the art show. If there are questions, the Art Show Coordinator will be the sole judge of acceptability,» the website reads.

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A representative for San Diego Comic-Con did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

In the past, the convention allowed participants to display AI artwork, provided it was clearly marked as such and wasn’t sold. But now, those artists can’t even bring it through the door. The rule change is a response to artist-led pushback, according to a 404 Media report. San Diego Comic-Con is one of the world’s most famous pop culture conventions, uniting comics, movies, television, gaming, cosplay and collectibles.

Jim Zub, writer for the Conan the Barbarian and Dungeons and Dragons comic book series, told CNET he supports Comic-Con’s decision and hopes other conventions will follow their lead.

«Hundreds of thousands of people attend San Diego Comic-Con each year, and the excitement that generates isn’t because they’re eager to meet a computer spitting out homogenized slop,» Zub said.

Zub, who’s also an artist, is scheduled to appear at Comic-Con in 2026.

Entertaining AI

The use of generative AI in comic book and pop culture art has generated controversy in recent years as AI programs have become more skilled at imitating creators.

A central focus of the 2023 actor’s strike involved backlash against the use of AI in movies and television. The issue has continued to roil Hollywood, as actors, special effects designers, and other film workers see the technology as a threat, while some movie studios view AI as a way to reduce production costs.

Netflix has already begun using AI-generated imagery in at least one series, Argentine sci-fi show El Eternauta. CEO Ted Sarandos praised the technology during a 2025 earnings call.

«We remain convinced that AI represents an incredible opportunity to help creators make films and series better, not just cheaper,» Sarandos said at the time.

AI is also an issue in the video game industry, with publishers facing swift backlash whenever fans discover AI was used in a game. The Indie Game Awards rescinded two awards for the hit RPG, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, after they found out that AI-made placeholder assets were included when the game launched. The game developer quickly patched the assets out.

While the movie and video game industries appear to have mixed views on using AI, Comic-Con has taken a firm stance, at least for now.

«Artists, writers, actors and other creatives gather and celebrate the popular arts in person because the people part of the equation is what matters most,» Zub said.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Mini Crossword Answers for Saturday, Jan. 24

Here are the answers for The New York Times Mini Crossword for Jan. 24.

Looking for the most recent Mini Crossword answer? Click here for today’s Mini Crossword hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Wordle, Strands, Connections and Connections: Sports Edition puzzles.

Need some help with today’s Mini Crossword? It’s a long one, as per usual on Saturday. 1-Down made me awfully hungry! Read on. And if you could use some hints and guidance for daily solving, check out our Mini Crossword tips.

If you’re looking for today’s Wordle, Connections, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands answers, you can visit CNET’s NYT puzzle hints page.

Read more: Tips and Tricks for Solving The New York Times Mini Crossword

Let’s get to those Mini Crossword clues and answers.