Meta outlines FIFA World Cup 2026 playbook to curb scams and abuse on Facebook and Instagram

With the FIFA World Cup 2026 approaching, Meta said it is preparing for a predictable rise in online wrongdoing around major sports events, including ticket scams, impersonation, and harassment that can spill from social media into real-world harm. In a May 28 post to its newsroom, the company described new and ongoing steps it plans to deploy across Facebook and Instagram to reduce both fraud and abuse during the tournament period.

On the scams front, Meta said it is increasing investments in “advanced AI” and tools meant to help people spot and avoid scams, along with partnerships aimed at holding bad actors accountable. It also said dedicated enforcement teams will monitor accounts targeting users with common event-related fraud schemes, such as fake ticket offers, false immigration processing promises, and misleading travel accommodations.

Meta also tied its World Cup preparations to cross-channel threat intelligence sharing. The company said it is working with the Global Announcement Exchange (GSE) and its Fraud Intelligence Reciprocal Exchange (FIRE) to disrupt scam networks that often operate across multiple platforms. It specifically described collaboration with Visa through GSE, saying Visa’s scam disruption team helped Meta identify and dismantle a network on Facebook that routed users to spoofed websites imitating FIFA World Cup 2026 branding and promoting fake gambling content.

To reduce consumer risk, Meta said it will launch a Facebook pop-up notification “starting this week” that will appear when people search for FIFA World Cup ticket terms on Facebook or visit related groups. The reminder is intended to steer users toward verifiable sources and direct them to Meta’s reporting tools if they encounter suspicious content or accounts.

Meta said it is also investing in education efforts alongside partners. It cited support for Canada’s Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre and Stand Against Scams, and described a creator-led campaign with Mexico’s consumer protection agency PROFECO focused on scams expected around the tournament, including fake ticket sales and impersonation of official FIFA World Cup-related websites.

For abuse and harassment, Meta said it enforces rules against bullying and harassment, violent threats, and hateful conduct directed at both players and fans. The company said it uses community reports and AI technology to proactively detect policy-violating content, and that it regularly reports its enforcement progress. As an example, Meta said that between October and December 2025, it removed 2.6 million pieces of hateful content on Facebook and Instagram, and found more than 74% of it before users reported it.

Meta also highlighted additional safety controls it says are designed to reduce unwanted contact and protect public figures during spikes of attention around games. The company referenced Facebook and Instagram tools including Restrict, tag and mention controls, and “Moderation Assist” for professional accounts, along with the option to turn off Instagram DM requests from people users do not follow.

The post went further on two Instagram protections aimed at filtering or limiting harmful engagement. “Hidden Words” is described as a safety feature that filters comments or DM requests containing offensive words, phrases, emojis, and spam, with users able to select levels of comment hiding and customize their own word lists. “Limit Interactions” is described as a setting that can temporarily restrict comments and DMs from specific groups of people, including those who do not follow an account or who only recently followed it, which Meta said is particularly useful when public figures see sudden influxes after matches. Meta added that Facebook would be rolling out a similar hidden-comment setting for FIFA World Cup athletes and teams.

Meta cautioned that while it is ramping up detection, moderation, and consumer reminders, it did not provide additional details about how effective these measures will be during the tournament, such as specific reduction targets, the number of accounts or scam websites removed in response to World Cup activity, or timelines for every tool described beyond the ticket pop-up “starting this week.” It also did not disclose what “advanced AI” investments entail in technical terms, nor how it prioritizes false positives versus missed violations during real-time events.

Looking ahead, the company’s immediate measure to watch is the new ticket-warning pop-up on Facebook and how quickly it reaches users searching for World Cup ticket-related terms. Meta will also likely face scrutiny on whether its player- and team-focused filters, including Hidden Words and Limit Interactions, meaningfully reduce harassment during high-visibility moments such as match days and major player milestones. Additional updates from Meta during the tournament and its follow-on enforcement reporting could show whether its cross-industry scam disruption efforts translate into fewer successful fraud attempts on its platforms.