HARTFORD, Conn. — Connecticut Attorney General William Tong joined another coalition on Tuesday, and this one is asking Meta to better enforce its own policies about pharmaceutical and wellness ads on Instagram and Facebook.
The coalition consists of 35 bipartisan attorneys general, and they demand that Meta take stronger measures to prevent AI-generated weight-loss content in ads.
According to a release from Tong’s office, these ads are likely to spike in visibility during the holiday season and beginning of the new year, when conversations around weight loss tend to be most prominent.
The popularity of GLP-1 weight loss drugs surged in recent years, and so too did the use of ads that sell the drugs directly to customers.
Dozens of companies are currently using Meta’s advertising tools to run thousands of ads promoting GLP-1 drugs, most of which are not approved by the FDA.
“Selling non-FDA approved weight loss drugs through deceptive, AI-generated ads is dangerous and irresponsible,” Tong said. “Meta’s own policies prohibit misleading health advertising, yet these ads continue to run.”
RELATED: Massachusetts court hears arguments in lawsuit alleging Meta designed apps to be addictive to kids
Tong added that, “We’re calling on Meta to enforce its own rules, require transparency and stop putting consumers at risk.”
Meta has policies in place regarding pharmaceutical and health and wellness ads, but the coalition believes it’s not sufficiently enforcing them.
Tong’s release expresses that advertisers are supposed to share information about the medical effectiveness and affordability of drugs, only target adults and not run ads that push a “perfect body type” or foster unhealthy body images.
However, the ads on Meta’s platforms capitalize on people’s dissatisfaction with their bodies and promote weight loss as a tool for self-confidence, desirability and social mobility, according to the release.
Sign up for the FOX61 newsletters: Morning Forecast, Morning Headlines, Evening Headlines
Many ads show body close-ups and side-by-side comparisons while promoting weight loss for milestones such as the holiday season, weddings, birthdays and vacations. These ads say the drugs will help consumers lose weight quickly without making it clear what the risks and side effects of the medications are.
Tong says that the ads often use unlabeled AI-generated content, including fake before and after images as well as nonexistent spokespeople. He cited one ad that shows an AI-generated model losing 208 pounds in three weeks.
Other ads use fake AI-created law enforcement officers, nurses and pharmacists to support their claims of weight loss.
Beyond enforcing its existing policies, the coalition is asking Meta to do the following:
-Restrict prescription drug ads in the U.S. to only those that are FDA-approved
RELATED: Instagram’s ‘deliberate design choices’ make it unsafe for teens despite Meta promises, report finds
-Require content promoting weight loss products to clearly disclose the risks and potential side effects
-Prohibit weight loss drug ads that use AI-generated content
-Label AI-generated content more clearly and develop better tools to detect and remove content that isn’t properly labeled
-Redirect people to safety and educational resources for weight loss products when they search for those products
Connecticut is joined in the letter by the attorneys general of North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, American Samoa, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Delaware, District of Columbia, Hawaii, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont and Washington state.
—-
Dalton Zbierski is a digital content producer and writer at FOX61 News. He can be reached at dzbierski@FOX61.com.
—-
Do you have a story idea or something on your mind you want to share? We want to hear from you! Email us at newstips@fox61.com.
—-
HERE ARE MORE WAYS TO GET FOX61 NEWS
Download the FOX61 News APP
iTunes: Click here to download
Google Play: Click here to download
Stream Live on ROKU: Add the channel from the ROKU store or by searching FOX61.
Steam Live on FIRE TV: Search ‘FOX61’ and click ‘Get’ to download.
FOLLOW US ON X, FACEBOOK & INSTAGRAM
To stream FOX61 on your phone, you need the FOX61 app.
Next up in 5
Example video title will go here for this video
Next up in 5
Example video title will go here for this video
In Other News
