TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan's Ministry of Digital Affairs fined Meta, parent company of Facebook and Instagram, NT$15 million (US$512,900) for violating the Fraud Crime Hazard Prevention Act.

MODA said Meta has failed to be transparent about advertiser information, allowing fraud groups to evade prosecution. The fine stems from 23 fraud cases reported by the National Police Agency, per Liberty Times.

The fine is the second received by Meta this year, following an initial fine of NT$1 million on May 22, for failure to disclose information about the publisher and investors behind a fraudulent ad.

MODA said an investigation into Facebook's advertising services found systemic deficiencies. MODA alleges Facebook is a major source of fraudulent ads in Taiwan, with a lack of transparency making it difficult to trace fraudulent groups.

In a statement, Meta said it has revamped its verification process across all platforms, including Facebook and Instagram, since last year. It asserts users are unable to place ads without completing a thorough registration and reporting process.

Meta said more than 146,000 ad accounts and 1.6 million fraudulent ads have been removed from its platforms in 2024. It said it will improve transparency and will cooperate with MODA and the Criminal Investigation Bureau to ensure platform security,  per CNA.

MODA asked Meta to fully comply with the Fraud Crime Hazard Prevention Act within 30 days, or face a follow-up fine.