Every day, countless people globally are targeted by dishonest scams; many of which are delivered directly through advertisements on platforms like YouTube, Facebook, Reddit, and others. Scammers are buying advertising space and reaching millions with dangerous, manipulative schemes that steal life savings, sell fraudulent products, install computer malware, steal sensitive data, and so forth.

This is worse than negligence. It is aiding and abetting, with clear indications that these corporations know about the problems and are doing nothing to fix them. At best, it could be ignorance; at worst, it is malicious.

When media and social media corporations knowingly accept advertisement revenue from scammers (or knowingly ignore rampant scam activity on their platforms), they are enabling crime. Worse, they are profiting from it.

There have been numerous complaints from many users of these platforms that, even though they keep reporting these scams, they keep reappearing.

The legal definition of aiding and abetting includes any action that helps or facilitates the commission of a crime. Hosting scam ads, while profiting from them, more than satisfies this condition. These platforms have the tools, resources, and technical ability to stop scam advertisements; but they choose not to, because scam money is still money. And every dollar they earn from these ads is made at the direct expense of innocent victims.

We urge the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to enforce aiding and abetting statutes more aggressively against platforms that knowingly host or ignore scam advertising. We call for:

• Investigations into advertising practices that facilitate scams
• Larger, more significant penalties for aiding and abetting fraud through advertising

These companies must not be allowed to prioritize profits above public safety.

Sign this petition to demand action from the FTC. Together, let’s stop these platforms from profiting off of exploitation and make digital spaces safer for everyone.