Facebook has terminated over thousands of advertising accounts owned by ‘online gurus’ who market products with unsubstantiated claims, ‘get-rich-quick’ schemes and ‘business transformational courses, and are looking out for more of these accounts.
Some of these accounts have even demanded ridiculously over priced membership fees.
The public has been advised to conduct proper due diligence prior to participating in any of such online purchases.
Ban on online sellers exploiting Covid-19 as well
Additionally, Facebook has noticed a pattern among online sellers and have now implemented a ban on any advertisements that refers to the coronavirus, that may cause panic buying. In this sense, panic buying doesn’t just include physically buying products in bulk but also buying products that is falsely advertised to either ‘prevent’ or ‘cure’ the Covid-19 virus in an attempt to create urgency.
“We recently implemented a policy to prohibit ads that refer to the coronavirus and create a sense of urgency, like implying a limited supply, or guaranteeing a cure or prevention. We also have policies for surfaces like Marketplace that prohibit similar behaviour,” a Facebook spokesperson told Business Insider.
Facebook users have been encouraged to use the platform’s reporting tools in the event that they spot a malicious advertisement, which then helps Facebook identify and take action against abusers of their platform.
It’s truly sad to see that people are willing to go to such lengths just to earn money out of the suffering of others.
What do you think about this? Let us know in the comment section.
Also read: Online Sellers Tricking M’sians Into Buying ‘Halal’ Hand Sanitisers At Insanely Hiked Up Prices
