Temu's $962M Fake Influencer Ad Network Exposed
A investigation by Czech research group Online Risk Labs revealed that Chinese e-commerce platform Temu spent approximately €830 million ($962 million) on Instagram and Facebook partnership ads, with a significant portion running through suspected fake creator accounts. Of the top 100 creator accounts, 73 were suspected to be fake, with 28 based in Russia and 19 in China. The network comprised over 12,000 accounts, generating 1.4 million campaigns and 17 billion impressions. After Fortune reported the findings, Temu quickly halted most of these ads, with 54 of the top 100 accounts ceasing partnership promotions. The practice may violate EU and UK rules against misleading advertising and AI content labeling requirements. Meta also faces pressure for running and profiting from these ads.
- •Temu spent approximately €830 million ($962 million) on partnership ads on Meta platforms over 16 months.
- •73 of the top 100 creator accounts were suspected to be fake, with 28 based in Russia and 19 in China.
- •The network included over 12,000 accounts, generating 1.4 million campaigns and 17 billion impressions.
