Should we consider Meta to be a criminal enterprise?
Meta's ad platform may have enabled fraud worth ten times all US burglaries.
Deep Dive
A discussion on LessWrong questions if Meta should be considered a criminal enterprise. The argument cites Meta's own 2024 estimate that it earned $16 billion from fraudulent ads. This suggests the platform facilitated roughly $30 billion in global fraud, a sum ten times the annual value of property stolen in all US burglaries. Commenters debate whether the sheer scale or the percentage of revenue from crime is the defining factor.
Why It Matters
This debate challenges how society defines and holds powerful tech platforms accountable for harm.