A coalition of 35 U.S. attorneys general has called on social media and tech giant Meta Platforms (META) to take steps and implement appropriate measures to prevent the spread of AI-generated weight loss advertisements on its platforms, i.e., Facebook and Instagram.
In a joint letter addressing the company and its legal chief, Jennifer Newstead, the AGs said the AI-generated weight loss ads take advantage of consumers’ insecurities to boost non-FDA-approved or compounded drugs, which are potentially dangerous. They have asked the company to implement its existing policies “more vigorously” to curb such misleading posts.
“A significant volume of these advertisements violate your own policies on pharmaceuticals, weight loss products, misleading health practices, and manipulated content,” the AGs said. “Many ads on your platforms risk misleading consumers regarding compounded GLP-1s. Troublingly, emerging evidence indicates that social media marketing is shaping consumers’ views about and interest in GLP-1s.”
The AGs have requested Meta, among other things, to stop showing ads about drugs that are not FDA-approved, to clearly disclose the risks and potential side effects of weight loss treatments, and to stop the promotion of weight loss drugs using AI-generated content.