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Congresswoman Debbie Dingell (D-MI) and Congressman August Pfluger (R-TX) today sent a letter to Meta Chief Executive Officer Mark Zuckerberg requesting information regarding the company’s role in profiting from and monitoring fraudulent artificial intelligence (AI) generated deepfake political advertisements on Facebook. The lawmakers raised concerns over deceptive content used to mislead voters and scam consumers.

“According to a recent investigation, advertisers on Meta platforms have engaged in deceptive or fraudulent practices.  They purchased nearly 150,000 ads, spending almost $49 million over the past seven years.,” the lawmakers wrote. “Many of these ads relied on fabricated videos impersonating public officials to promote fake government programs. These scams are designed to deceive everyday Americans, and Meta has continued to profit from them.

“The rapid rise of AI and deepfake technology has only made it easier for bad actors to produce fraudulent, hyper-realistic content at scale. Older Americans and other vulnerable communities are particularly at risk,” the lawmakers continued. “The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) reports that scams impersonating government officials and businesses have increased fourfold since 2020, with social media now serving as one of the most common vehicles. Yet despite explicit policies against impersonation and scams, Meta has allowed repeat offenders to continue advertising and generating revenue on its platform.

“Congress and the Trump Administration have taken action to address threats, recently through the TAKE IT DOWN Act, legislation we led that underscores the urgent need for stronger protections against the misuse of deepfakes,” the lawmakers concluded. “While guardrails are critical, Meta has a responsibility to protect its users today.”

Read the full text of the letter here.