Outlook Business Desk
In the first half of 2025, Meta wiped out nearly 10 million fake Facebook accounts in a push to clean up the platform. Calling it a fight against “spammy content,” the company says the goal is to make your feed more real and relevant—especially as AI-generated junk keeps piling up online.
Meta found that many fake accounts were imitating popular content creators to game Facebook’s algorithm and boost reach. Another 5 lakh accounts were flagged for spammy behaviour—like bot comments, content recycling and fake engagement.
With AI tools churning out low-effort content at scale, platforms are under pressure to protect real creativity. Meta is leading the charge, but its peers are quickly stepping up their efforts too.
YouTube recently tightened its monetisation rules, targeting low-effort, repetitive videos that lack value. After confusion from creators, the platform clarified that AI tools are allowed—just not lazy, copy-paste content.
In March 2024, Meta received 15,226 user reports in India regarding Facebook issues — 4,323 of those were about fake profiles. Meta resolved 8,720 of these cases using user support tools.
On Instagram, Meta received 12,804 user complaints through India’s grievance system. Out of these, 5,055 were flagged as fake profiles — showing rising concerns over identity misuse on the platform.
Meta announced new rules to support original creators, especially those sharing unique photos or videos. It’s now using tech to spot duplicate posts and limit their reach unless proper credit is given—aimed squarely at AI-powered content farms reposting viral material.
Meta’s crackdown comes as it doubles down on artificial intelligence. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has announced plans to invest “hundreds of billions of dollars” to scale up AI infrastructure and launch the company’s first AI supercluster in 2026.
From Meta to YouTube, major platforms are cracking down on fake accounts and low-quality AI content. As the digital landscape shifts, this may be just the start of a long-term fight for authenticity.