Santa Clara County Sues Meta In California Alleging Tech Giant Profited From Facebook, Instagram Scam Ads

CBS Bay Area

May 12, 2026

Meta is being sued by a California prosecutor alleging that the tech giant is knowingly facilitating and profiting billions of dollars from scam ads on its social media platforms.

The lawsuit, filed on Monday by Santa Clara County Counsel Tony LoPresti, alleges that Meta tracks some 15 billion fraudulent ads across its Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp platforms. The company allegedly derives some $7 billion in annual "violating revenue," which is Meta's internal term for revenue from fraudulent ads, the county said in a press statement.

The lawsuit is the first-of-its-kind by a local prosecutor against Meta. Historically, most lawsuits against tech companies by local prosecutors are in partnership with state attorneys general.

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