Watchdog finds hundreds of Instagram, Facebook ads crowdfunding for Israeli military

Arab News

4 days ago

LONDON: Consumer watchdog Eko has uncovered hundreds of ads on Meta platforms — including Instagram and Facebook — that promote crowdfunding campaigns for the Israel Defense Forces, in apparent violation of the company's own advertising policies.
The ads, run by pro-Israel groups, aim to raise funds for military equipment such as drones and tactical gear, despite Meta's rules prohibiting the promotion of firearms and weapons-related content.
According to Eko's research, at least 117 ads have been published since March 2025 explicitly soliciting donations for equipment used by the IDF. The ads, launched by two groups, targeted users in the US, UK and EU, and generated at least 76,000 impressions — the number of times an ad is displayed to users.
Combined, the campaigns raised more than $2.4 million through landing pages linked to the ads.
'We are the sniper team of Unit Shaked, stationed in Gaza, and we urgently need shooting tripods to complete our mission in Jabalia,' one Facebook ad read.
Eko said most of the ads raised funds for Autel EVO drones, the model that Israeli soldiers have reportedly retrofitted with grenades and used in deadly attacks in Gaza, including against children.
An investigation by Israeli outlet +972 Magazine recently revealed that Israel has acquired large numbers of Chinese-made Autel quadcopters — drones typically used for photography and available for purchase on Amazon — and adapted them to carry explosives.
'Most of our drones are broken and falling apart— and we don't have any replacements,' another ad said. 'Donate now — every second counts, every drone saves lives.'
While Eko noted it is unclear whether funds raised through the ads were directly used to purchase drones, IDF soldiers told +972 that they had received Autel drones through donations, fundraisers and Facebook groups.
One of the groups identified by Eko is the nonprofit Vaad Hatzedaka, which linked to a donation page listing equipment it was seeking to fund, including two Autel drones. As of this month, the campaign had raised more than $250,000 of its $300,000 goal.
Another campaign, launched by Israeli singer-songwriter Mayer Malik, claimed to have collected more than $2.2 million for the IDF.
Meta's advertising policies explicitly ban content that promotes the sale or use of restricted goods such as weapons, ammunition and explosives.
'Meta is profiting from genocide — approving ads that help funnel millions of dollars toward killer drones and military gear likely used to murder Palestinians,' Vicky Wyatt, campaign director, said. 'This isn't just a moderation failure — it's a business model built to reward whoever pays, no matter the harm.'
While Meta has removed some of the ads flagged in Eko's latest report, the watchdog said the company has done little to address broader concerns raised during a previous investigation in December 2024. At the time, Eko flagged 98 similar ads, prompting takedowns, but Meta allowed the advertisers to return with near-identical campaigns.
The IDF itself is not directly running the fundraising campaigns.
The new findings come just days after a separate investigation by the Tech Transparency Project revealed that platforms including X and WhatsApp were being used as storefronts for weapons sales by arms dealers linked to Houthi militants in Yemen.
Eko warned that Meta's approval of the IDF-linked ads may also breach the EU's Digital Services Act, which requires platforms to remove content that violates national or EU laws.