A new investigative report has brought to light a systemic failure within Meta’s efforts to curb the spread of disinformation on Facebook, revealing that purveyors of false content are continuing to profit from the platform despite repeated policy violations. Conducted by the tech policy non-profit “What to Fix” and the Bosnian fact-checking organization “Raskrinkavanje,” the study analyzed more than 290 Facebook pages in Bosnia that had been flagged at least ten times by Meta’s official fact-checking partners. The findings suggest a clear disconnect between Meta’s public commitments to integrity and the reality of its operational enforcement.
The data indicates that 51 of the pages identified for serial disinformation distribution have a documented history of enrollment in Meta’s various monetization programs. Before Meta consolidated its revenue streams into a single, invite-only program in 2024, one-third of these accounts had successfully registered for multiple monetization channels. Most alarmingly, the report discovered that nine of these repeat offenders were subsequently invited by Meta into the new, performance-based payment program, effectively rewarding the creators of “fake” content with financial incentives based on the audience size their misinformation garnered.
Meta’s official stance explicitly forbids accounts that distribute content labeled as “fake”—such as conspiracy theories, fabricated quotes, or misrepresented media—from earning income through its platform. However, the study points to a glaring lack of transparency regarding the thresholds Meta uses to trigger punitive measures. While some accounts were temporarily suspended or demonetized for their infractions, the researchers noted that 84% of these restricted actors were eventually able to regain full access to monetization programs, frequently within a very short timeframe. In some instances, these accounts were fully reinstated and profitable again in as little as 48 hours.
This cycle of suspension and reactivation suggests that Meta’s enforcement mechanisms are either fundamentally flawed or being applied with a lack of rigor that allows bad actors to exploit the system repeatedly. By allowing previously flagged accounts to resume monetization, the platform potentially undermines the entire premise of its “demonetization for disinformation” policy. The report argues that rather than acting as a deterrent to the spread of malicious content, Meta’s current approach might inadvertently facilitate a business model where profit is generated through the deliberate manipulation of the truth.
The researchers acknowledged that the study faced limitations due to Meta’s lack of public transparency and the absence of a comprehensive, accessible database regarding account earnings and histories. Because Meta does not disclose internal data on which accounts are monetizing or the specific criteria for their exclusion, “What to Fix” had to rely on a combination of disclosed information and independent tracking databases. Despite these limitations, the authors emphasize that their findings are significant enough to warrant deeper scrutiny from global regulators, particularly regarding Meta’s efficacy as an information gatekeeper.
In light of these findings, the report concludes with a call for the European Union to investigate Meta’s activities in the context of the Digital Services Act (DSA). The authors suggest that the platform may be failing to uphold its obligations under the EU’s Code of Conduct on Disinformation, which specifically requires major tech firms to cut off financial support to purveyors of falsehoods. As Meta continues to face intense global pressure to police its digital ecosystem, the study serves as a stark reminder that as long as disinformation remains profitable, the incentives to exploit social media platforms will remain high.
