Meta pays extremist and anti-vaccine creators through Facebook monetisation program

An investigation found Meta is compensating several controversial Australian Facebook pages, including a white nationalist and an anti-vaccine activist, despite their content breaching the platform’s own rules.

Research by one outlet Verify revealed that Meta’s exclusive Content Monetisation programme is providing advertising revenue to a handful of Australian pages that promote extremist or anti-science narratives. Among the beneficiaries are Hugo Lennon, a white nationalist who shouted racist abuse at the Indian prime minister, and Monica Smit, who runs the anti-vaccine group Reignite Democracy Australia and sells “radiation protection” bracelets.

The far-right website The Noticer and a page linked to the March for Australia anti-immigration movement have also received payments. While Meta maintains that clear policies govern monetised content and that violators can be barred from earning, the investigation shows these pages repeatedly breach rules on hateful and misleading content. Experts say the payouts incentivise rage-bait material, raising questions about the platform’s responsibility for partner-generated content. The company declined to comment on specific pages but reiterated its stance that it does not police offensiveness.