Political ads on social media rife with misinformation and scams, new research finds

A deep dive into political ads on Facebook by researchers at Syracuse University has revealed a sprawling web of advertisements that contain misleading information or scams. The work by professor Jennifer Stromer-Galley found ads that promised voters free Donald Trump-themed flags and other merchandise as part of an attempt to get their credit card information. Other ads contained false claims about crime or immigration, or featured deepfakes of celebrities endorsing candidates. As the research shows, weak regulations governing online ads and weak enforcement by tech companies have made online ads a tantalizing way for con artists to target victims.