Israel Forensics Chief Sues Meta Over Fake Content

Dr. Chen Kugel, Director of the Israeli Institute of Forensic Medicine and an active user of Facebook and Instagram, has filed a class action lawsuit against tech giant Meta. The lawsuit claims that Meta enables widespread online fraud, dubbed the "algorithmic scam" via its paid advertising platforms on Facebook and Instagram.

According to the claim, these platforms allow fake, manipulative, and persuasive content to be disseminated to specifically targeted audiences in order to deceive them and steal money. The lawsuit highlights that many of these scams are conducted in Hebrew, aimed directly at Israeli users.

This legal move comes amid growing scrutiny over Meta’s role in spreading misleading content. Just last week, the company announced new measures to combat the sharing of "non-original" content: recycled posts that reuse texts, images, or videos without attribution. Meta reported that since the beginning of 2025, it has removed approximately 10 million accounts impersonating well-known content creators.

In addition to cracking down on impersonators, Meta has also taken action against about half a million accounts accused of "spammy behavior" or artificially inflating engagement. These measures include reducing comment visibility and limiting content reach, aimed at cutting off revenue streams for fraudulent actors.

These developments come shortly after YouTube also updated its content policies to address mass-produced or AI-generated content, a trend that continues to challenge platform integrity in the era of advanced generative technologies.

The class action filed by Dr. Kugel is one of the most high-profile Israeli legal responses to date against the tech industry's growing entanglement with digital disinformation and online scams.