When it comes to battling internet misinformation, Facebook and its parent company, Meta, don't exactly have the best reputation.
According to a report by MIT Technology Review, advertisements for unproven, disproved, and even hazardous cancer treatments are still visible on Facebook and Instagram.
Multiple advertisements from clinics hawking cancer therapies that had not been cleared by any regulatory agencies, such the FDA, appeared in the United States, according to Meta's Ad Library.
Additionally, if Meta's algorithms have identified you as a user who is interested in cancer therapy, your feed is likely to be filled with unfounded claims about possible treatments for the disease.
For instance, there are multiple advertisements for CHIPSA Hospital, a facility in Mexico, in the Meta library that mention "breakthrough" or "cutting edge" therapies.
According to cancer specialists interviewed by Tech Review, there are obvious reasons why these purported treatments aren't routinely used elsewhere.