Facebook paid users for AI spam – via bonus program

The rewards program for creators has driven the emergence of AI spam on Facebook. Research by 404 Media has now uncovered the machinery behind spam production.

Users who regularly post on their Facebook accounts have the chance to be included in Facebook's Creator Bonus program, which allows them to earn money from content that goes viral.

But of course, this does not only attract creators. Spam factories in countries such as Pakistan, India, Vietnam, Thailand and Indonesia also use the bonus program as a source of income, according to research by 404 Media shows.

Facebook’s bonus program increases AI spam

Facebook's rewards program allows eligible users to earn money from their content. For some posts, this can be as little as a few cents, while others can earn hundreds of dollars.

The more content you post, the more likely you are to earn money. This has now evolved into a machine that uses automation to upload more and more AI-generated content to Facebook.

According to research by 404 Media There are sometimes hundreds of posts per day. The spammers create these using tools such as Microsoft's AI Image Creator.

Spammers are systematically trained

The spammers get their information from YouTube channels that specialize in AI machinery, among other places. But dozens of instructions can also be found on Fiverr and Gumroad or via Telegram channels that simply explain how to use AI image generators.

The creators sometimes manage several Facebook accounts at the same time and manage them with the help of automated tools. Jason Koebler from 404 Media has set up his own AI spam account for his research.

With the help of Vercel and WordPress accounts, Koebler is able to bypass Facebook's automatic spam detection. He then creates an ad using his account, but does not publish it, using the preview link instead.

This process can then be repeated over and over again to get people to click on photo albums that are not actually photo albums.

What does Meta say about AI spam on Facebook?

Opposite 404 Media Meta confirms that the problems are known: “We know that bad actors adapt their tactics to circumvent our rules, so we are constantly working to improve our detection and enforcement.”

However, the company is also interested in ensuring that the social network is filled with content: “We encourage creators to use AI tools to produce high-quality content that meets all of our community standards.”

They are taking action against accounts that try to generate traffic with “inauthentic engagement”. This happens regardless of whether the content is AI-generated or not.

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