If you’ve scrolled through Instagram or Facebook lately, you’ve likely seen them: flashy videos promising you can “drop 2 pant sizes before summer” or “get snatched before Christmas” using miracle drugs.
According to a bipartisan coalition of 40 attorneys general, many of those ads are dangerous fakes driven by artificial intelligence.
In a scathing letter sent to Meta’s legal team this week, the coalition—led by Connecticut Attorney General William Tong, North Carolina’s Jeff Jackson, Ohio’s Dave Yost, and Pennsylvania’s Dave Sunday—demanded the tech giant crack down on a surge of “predatory” advertising for GLP-1 weight loss drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy.
The officials argue that Meta is allowing advertisers to bypass its own safety policies, inundating users with deceptive claims that exploit health insecurities. The letter accuses advertisers of using sophisticated AI to fabricate testimonials from non-existent police officers, nurses, and pharmacists to pedal unapproved drug cocktails.
“Deepening the Risks” with AI
The attorneys general highlighted how AI tools are being used to deceive casual scrollers.
The letter cites specific examples, including a “Trim Rx” advertisement featuring a computer-generated model who appears to lose 208 pounds in weeks, narrated by an upbeat voiceover claiming, “This stuff works for real.” Other ads use AI to generate “doctors” or “satisfied customers” that look real at a glance but crumble under scrutiny.
“The problem: none of these people are real,” the letter states.
Because AI video generation is improving rapidly, the officials warn that distinguishing between a real patient and a deepfake is becoming nearly impossible for consumers. While Meta has tools for labeling AI content, the letter notes that many advertisers simply ignore them.
The “Compounded” Drug Loophole
Beyond the fake testimonials, the coalition is sounding the alarm on the drugs themselves. While brand-name GLP-1s are FDA-approved, the letter notes that most ads on Facebook and Instagram are pushing “compounded” versions.
During drug shortages, pharmacies were temporarily allowed to mix these drugs in bulk. However, the shortage is largely over, and the attorneys general warn that these unapproved versions—often sold as “microdoses,” pills, or drops—essentially amount to “a mass experiment on unsuspecting patients.”
The ads often blur the line, implying these knock-off mixtures have the same safety clearance as the FDA-approved versions.
Demands for Action
The coalition dismissed Meta’s current enforcement efforts as inadequate, pointing out that “dozens of companies” are currently running thousands of ads that violate Meta’s own bans on “distasteful messaging” and negative body image tactics.
The attorneys general are asking Meta to implement immediate changes, including:
- Banning all ads for prescription drugs that are not FDA-approved.
- Prohibiting the use of AI-generated spokespeople or “before and after” images in weight loss ads.
- Requiring clear disclosures of side effects.
- Retooling algorithms so they stop trapping users in “filter bubbles” of weight loss content.
“Meta is supposed to place guardrails on pharmaceutical advertisements,” the letter reads. “But those policies are being circumvented.”
Full Letter:
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