Poland seeks EU €250 million Meta fine

Poland’s Deputy Prime Minister and Digital Affairs Minister Krzysztof Gawkowski formally asked the European Commission to fine Meta €250 million for failing to police fraudulent ads on Facebook and Instagram, citing a CERT Polska study that found 86.8% of 122 flagged ads were not removed. He described Meta’s advertising environment as a “Wild West” and urged the EC to investigate its content moderation under the EU Digital Services Act. The request follows a Warsaw appellate court ruling that Meta is an active participant in its advertising ecosystem, potentially increasing its liability in Poland. Meta says combating fraud online is extremely complex and notes that it has removed a large number of Polish-origin ads, while reiterating the need for cooperation among platforms, governments, and law enforcement. The move signals Poland’s broader push to hold platforms to account in the EU and comes amid prior litigation brought by Rafał Brzoska over fake ads and other Polish concerns. As the EC considers the evidence, the outcome could influence how aggressively EU member states pursue platform accountability for scams and harmful content.