(MENAFN) Taiwan's Ministry of Digital Affairs (MODA) has imposed a hefty fine of NT$15 million ($512,324) on Meta Platforms Inc., the parent company of Facebook, for failing to meet transparency standards regarding information on advertisers, media reported.

This penalty stems from 23 recent incidents where Meta was found to have provided incomplete or insufficient transparency about its advertisers. MODA stressed that Meta’s actions violated the Fraud Crime Hazard Prevention Act, which mandates online advertising operators to disclose key details about individuals or entities behind advertisements, including those who finance them.

This is Meta’s second penalty for this issue in Taiwan, following an earlier fine of NT$1 million ($34,139) on May 22.

Facebook, in particular, is increasingly under scrutiny in Taiwan, as the platform is widely seen as a primary source of scam ads. A survey by the Global Anti-Scam Alliance, published in a magazine late last year, revealed that more than 60% of Taiwanese users reported encountering fraudulent ads on Meta platforms.

In response, Meta claimed to have bolstered its verification processes since 2024, which now prohibits users from running ads without proper verification, media reported. In 2024 alone, the company said it had removed over 146,000 ad accounts and 1.6 million scam ads from its platforms.

Meta has pledged to continue improving its transparency efforts, with the company working closely alongside MODA and the Criminal Investigation Bureau to enhance platform safety. However, MODA has given Meta a strict 30-day deadline to resolve the issue, or face the prospect of an additional fine.

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