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

Tubi App Goes Live in ChatGPT to Give You TV and Movie Recommendations

Like the ultra-customized feel of a Tubi rec? The streamer aims to make it even more personalized.

Tubi, the free streaming platform known for its vast library of cult classics and indie movies, has added an app to ChatGPT. You can now use the chatbot to find content recommendations for TV shows and movies on Tubi, the streamer announced on Tuesday.

You may already have your own search strategy when using Tubi, but the addition of the native app within ChatGPT allows you to strike up a conversation and ask for uber-specific, personalized title suggestions. If you see a film or show that captures your interest, you have the option to click «Watch on Tubi» to stream it on a mobile device or the web. In the mood for scary movies about yetis? Use @Tubi for your prompt in the chatbot and request something like, «horror movies with aggressive yetis» and expect to see a selection of titles that fit your wish list.

«Streaming should feel effortless, and as chatbots and AI agents are becoming a common way people navigate the internet, Tubi is expanding its discovery experience to meet viewers in the moment they’re expressing intent in their own words,» Mike Bidgoli, Tubi’s chief of product and technology, said in a statement.

ChatGPT opened its app store this past December. It currently includes apps for Apple Music, Zillow, Spotify and Canva, offering the ability to connect your accounts to search, design or ask for recommendations. Back in 2023, Tubi created its own AI-powered tool called Rabbit AI for mobile users to help audiences find content to watch. The company later shuttered the feature, which used Open AI’s Chat GPT-4. With today’s launch, it’s the first video streaming service to add an app within ChatGPT.

(Disclosure: Ziff Davis, CNET’s parent company, in April filed a lawsuit against OpenAI, alleging it infringed Ziff Davis copyrights in training and operating its AI systems.)

Technologies

PlayStation Plus Subscribers Can Play Tomb Raider and More All April Long

Subscribers can also explore a Soulslike game that just got a big update.

PlayStation Plus, which is Sony’s version of Xbox Game Pass, offers a large, constantly expanding library of games. Subscribers can choose from the Essential, Extra and Premium tiers, each with unique perks and benefits. Starting at $10 a month, the plans give subscribers access to games and rewards, and each month, all subscribers can play a handful of new games at no additional charge. And some people on Reddit are pretty excited for a few of the games Sony is offering subscribers throughout April.

One user wrote how they are «buzzing» for the remastered Tom Raider games, while another user is willing to replay the Soulslike game Lords of the Fallen. «April fools’ joke? Because they’re actually good,» a third user wrote.

If you’re a PlayStation Plus subscriber, you can play these games now until May 4.

Lords of the Fallen

If you played Elden Ring and thought, «I wish this game had even more grimdark elements to it, like Bloodborne,» Lords of the Fallen might be for you. Choose one of nine classes to play as while you traverse the lands of the living and the dead in order to overthrow the demon god Adyr. You’ll fight all manner of monstrosities along the way, like a colossal humanoid with an arm protruding from its mouth or a giant carrion crow that wears a human skull.

HexWorks, the gaming studio behind Lords of the Fallen, also released a patch for the game on April 3. The patch is intended to make co-op sessions feel more rewarding for hosts and guests, so you and your friends should have even more fun in this game.

Tomb Raider 1-3 Remastered

Experience these classic Tomb Raider games from the 90s all over again — or for the first time — with the remastered trilogy. You’ll explore jungles, solve puzzles in the desert and tackle mercenaries and monsters along the way. While you can enjoy the boosted graphics of the remastered edition, you can also enable low-poly mode to experience these games as you would have almost 30 years ago.

Sword Art Online Fractured Daydream

A system called Galaxia has been added to Alfheim Online, allowing players to relive the past. But the system has spun out of control, displacing players throughout time. To set things right, you’ll have to work with friends and foes alike in this co-op raid battle game. But if you want to go solo, you can play story mode as characters from across space and time confront the anomaly in the VR world.

For more on PlayStation Plus, here’s what to know about the service. You can also check out other games on PlayStation Plus and games on Xbox Game Pass.

Technologies

Get Organized for Just $28 With This 6-in-1 Baseus Charging Station Deal

Ditch the cluttered cables and upgrade to this sleek USB power strip while it’s on sale for a record-low price.

For just $28, this six-in-one Baseus charging station can help you keep your desk organized. That’s 20% off and the all-time lowest price we’ve seen for this 120-watt USB power strip. We don’t expect this limited-time deal to last for long, however, so you’ll want to get your order in sooner rather than later.

You can use this charging station for just about all of your devices, including phones, tablets, headphones and laptops. It’s equipped with four USB-C ports and two USB-A ports, so you can charge up to six devices at once. It also boasts a 65-watt single-port output, enough to fully recharge a MacBook Air in less than 2 hours. And at just 323 grams, it’s light enough to take on the go, making it a great buy for frequent travelers.

Why this deal matters

This sleek Baseus charging station can connect to up to six devices at once, and is still small enough that you can take it on the go. Plus, this is the all-time lowest price we’ve seen, making it a pretty great value.