How-To

How to Use PoliDashboard to Find Deceptive or Suspicious Advertisers

Deceptive and suspicious ads have proliferated on social media platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, X, TikTok, and others, particularly during elections, natural disasters, and other major public events. These ads are frequently designed to manipulate public opinion, spread misinformation, and defraud users by exploiting gaps in platform oversight and moderation. Despite efforts by platform operators to improve moderation and accountability, many of these ads continue to slip through the cracks, reaching large audiences with minimal scrutiny. By taking a few minutes to investigate, you can contribute to greater transparency and help hold advertisers accountable.

Here are some examples of how malicious actors use paid ads:

There are several ways to use PoliDashboard to identify deceptive or suspicious advertisers.

Option 1 – Semantic Search* is recommended for users who have a clear research question or objective that they are trying to expand or investigate further, or who are looking for patterns or trends that may be obscured.

  1. Bookmark PoliDashboard.org and visit the app regularly, daily or weekly.
  2. Select the “Search” option from the “Organize By:” menu bar.
  3. Review “Search suggestions” in the drop-down menu and decide if they match what you’re investigating. Some scams and misinformation types are more common in certain countries, so the suggested search terms might bring up different results depending on where you’re searching from.
  4. If none of the “Search suggestions” are relevant, experiment with a few different searches based on your domain expertise and local knowledge or use ChatGPT to generate semantic searches suitable for your investigation.  
  5. Review semantic search results and make notes about relevant results (e.g., source of each post, patterns or recurring narratives, tone and content), particularly results that were unexpected or surprising.
  6. Review the statistics associated with these advertisers (e.g., spending, number of ads, and audience reach) to gain a more comprehensive understanding of their ad activity.
  7. Visit the Facebook page(s) they manage for more context.
  8. If you find an advertiser running deceptive or suspicious ads,
    1. Email us at [email protected], and please include:
      1. Links to the advertiser’s Facebook page(s)
      2. Links or screenshots of the specific ads in question
      3. A brief description (50-100 words) of why you believe the content is deceptive or misleading

*The semantic search feature can help identify potential bad actors who might be using paid Meta ads in harmful or deceptive ways. However, because semantic search focuses on meaning, it will surface all advertisers, both legitimate and malicious, whose ads match your search terms. You’ll need to review the results closely to spot which advertisers are a concern.

Option 2 – Manual Review is recommended for users who are interested in learning more about how advertisements on Meta’s platforms work, or have a straightforward research question or objective (e.g., comparing ad spending between two political parties) to answer.

  1. Bookmark PoliDashboard.org and visit the app regularly, daily or weekly.
  2. Take a few minutes to browse the list of advertisers displayed in the dashboard via the Spending, Demographic and Location tab in the menu bar.
  3. Use the filter options to narrow down results. Be systematic to avoid duplication and ensure you cover different segments.
  4. Focus on unfamiliar advertisers—those you don’t recognize or that seem out of place.
  5. Review the statistics associated with these advertisers (e.g., spending, number of ads, and audience reach) to gain a more comprehensive understanding of their ad activity.
  6. Visit the Facebook page(s) they manage for more context.
  7. Review sample ads to evaluate the tone, messaging, and potential for deception or manipulation.
  8. If you find an advertiser running deceptive or suspicious ads,
    • Email us at [email protected], and please include:
      1. Links to the advertiser’s Facebook page(s)
      2. Links or screenshots of the specific ads in question
      3. A brief description (50-100 words) of why you believe the content is deceptive or misleading