A coalition of consumer groups in Europe has lodged formal complaints against Alphabet’s Google, Meta Platforms and TikTok, accusing the platforms of inadequate action to prevent financial scams from circulating to users.
The complaints were submitted by the European Consumer Organisation (BEUC) together with 29 member groups from 27 European countries. They were filed with both the European Commission and national regulators under the Digital Services Act (DSA), the EU law that requires large online platforms to take stronger measures against illegal and harmful content.
BEUC’s director general, Agustín Reyna, said in a statement that the three platforms not only fail to proactively remove fraudulent advertisements but also take insufficient action when notified about such scams. "If they fail to address the financial scams circulating on their platforms, fraudsters will continue to reach millions of European consumers daily, leaving people at risk of losing hundreds to thousands of euros to fraud," he said.
The consumer groups reported nearly 900 advertisements that they suspected breached EU rules during the period from December last year through March this year. According to the filing, the platforms removed only 27% of those ads. Meanwhile, 52% of the reports made by consumer groups were either rejected or ignored by the services.
BEUC and its members have urged regulators to probe whether Google, Meta and TikTok are complying with DSA requirements and to consider imposing fines for any breaches. Under the Digital Services Act, penalties for non-compliance can reach up to 6% of a company’s global annual turnover.
There was no immediate response from the companies to an email request for comment, according to the complaint submission record.
Context and implications
The complaints place regulatory pressure on the three platforms by invoking the enforcement mechanisms of the DSA. BEUC’s submission highlights both the scale of suspected rule-breaking advertisements identified by consumer groups and the platforms’ reported low rate of takedown or remedial action when these ads were flagged.
The groups are seeking investigations by the European Commission and national authorities to determine compliance and, where appropriate, financial penalties under the DSA framework.
Data cited by BEUC
- Nearly 900 suspected ads reported between December and March.
- 27% of those reported ads were taken down by the platforms.
- 52% of reports were rejected or ignored.
- Potential fines under the DSA may reach up to 6% of global annual turnover.
The complaint campaign underscores ongoing scrutiny of major online platforms and their role in preventing fraudulent financial activity aimed at European consumers.