Facebook pages flagged for disinformation continue to monetize content

Key facts

• Facebook pages flagged over 10 times for fake content by fact-checkers continue to make money.
• A study by What To Fix and Raskrinkavanje analyzed over 290 pages in Bosnia.
• 51 of these pages were enrolled in Facebook monetization programs.
• 84% of restricted accounts were able to regain access to monetization.
• Meta's ability to demonetize repeat disinformation offenders is questioned by the study.

A new study indicates that Facebook pages repeatedly flagged for distributing fake content continue to monetize their posts, even after policy violations and suspensions. The analysis by tech policy non-profit What To Fix and Bosnian fact-checking organization Raskrinkavanje examined over 290 pages in Bosnia that had been flagged more than ten times by Meta's fact-checking partners.

Researchers found that 51 of these accounts, identified for promoting disinformation at least ten times, had a history of being enrolled in at least one Facebook monetization program. Prior to 2024, when Meta consolidated its monetization streams into a single invite-only program, one in three of these accounts were able to register for multiple channels. An additional nine accounts were subsequently invited by Meta to join this performance-based payment program.

The study raises concerns about Meta's effectiveness in demonetizing repeat offenders, noting that 84% of restricted accounts were able to regain monetization access. Over half of these accounts were back online within a month, with some suspensions lasting as little as two days. This suggests that Meta may be allowing accounts identified as policy violators to continue monetizing content.

Meta has faced ongoing criticism for its struggle to curb disinformation. While the company works with third-party fact-checkers and has introduced Community Notes, the report highlights potential gaps in enforcement. The study's limitations include Meta's lack of public data on account monetization, forcing researchers to rely on databases of disclosures and fact-checks.