Temu allegedly spent nearly $1 billion on influencer ads that may involve fake accounts in Europe
Research suggests Temu poured about $962 million into partnership ads on Meta platforms, with roughly three-quarters of the top 100 creator accounts appearing to be fabricated.
A study by the Czech non-profit Online Risk Labs indicates that Temu spent up to $962 million on Meta partnership ads across the U.K. and 27 EU nations, relying heavily on creator content. The top-ranked creator, Ya Lili, who boasts 183,000 Instagram followers, appears to be a non-existent account, and 73 of the 100 most-used creator profiles are suspected to be fake. These accounts, some originating from Russia or China, posted AI-generated promotional videos that were boosted to more than 1 billion viewers.
The practice may violate the U.K.'s Digital Markets, Competition & Consumers Act and the EU AI Act, which require transparent labeling of AI-generated content. Legal counsel from Mishcon de Reya cautioned that such deceptive advertising could attract regulatory action. Meta’s partnership-ad revenue reached $10 billion in Q1 2026, making Temu’s share a notable slice of that market. Both industry observers and scholars note that while the tactic may lower costs, it raises ethical and legal concerns about influencer fraud.
Why it matters
The story highlights possible large-scale ad fraud and regulatory risks for a fast-growing e-commerce platform.
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