US tech giant Meta, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, has launched lawsuits against multiple individuals and companies in Brazil and China for using deepfake technology to run fraudulent advertisements.

According to Meta, criminals are increasingly using AI to create highly realistic voice and video copies of celebrities to promote scam investments.

These manipulations make deceptive messages appear more legitimate, targeting unsuspecting users worldwide.

In Brazil, Meta sued B&B Suplementos e Cosmeticos, Brites Academia de Treinamento, and two individuals for running a scam operation that employed deepfakes of a prominent physician to promote unapproved healthcare products.

Brites reportedly also sold courses teaching similar deceptive marketing tactics. Notably, Brazilian oncologist Drauzio Varella was impersonated in these scams.

Varella criticized Meta’s actions as insufficient, stating that the company’s platforms helped spread fraudulent content due to their vast reach.

Additionally, Meta filed lawsuits against Vitor Lourenco de Souza and Milena Luciani Sanchez for similar fraudulent advertising schemes in Brazil.

In China, the tech company targeted Shenzhen Yunzheng Technology for using celebrity-focused ads to lure victims in the US, Japan, and other markets into fake investment schemes.

Meta also sued Ly Van Lam, a Vietnamese company, for promoting counterfeit Longchamp luxury handbags using deceptive advertisements.

Meta emphasized that these legal actions are part of broader efforts to protect users from AI-driven fraud and to hold companies accountable for enabling scams on social media.

By addressing celebrity deepfake scams, Meta aims to reduce the spread of misleading advertisements, safeguard public health, and ensure transparency on its platforms.