Facebook Sues Chinese Malware Operator For Abusing Its Ad Platform

Facebook today filed a lawsuit against a Chinese company and two Chinese nationals for abusing the Facebook ad platform to run a malware scheme. From a report: The accused are ILikeAd Media International Company, a Hong Kong-based company founded in 2016, and Chen Xiao Cong and Huang Tao, the two men behind it. Facebook said today that ILikeAd used Facebook ads to lure victims into downloading and installing malware. Once installed, the malware would compromise victims' Facebook accounts and use access to these accounts to place new ads, on behalf of the infected users.

Is this case viable, tenable?

[140Mandak262Jamuna]

I mean, can one malware sue another malware? Isn't it like a burglar suing a thief for stealing the loot from him?

Hong Kong is only China when it's convenient

[Anonymous Coward]

We cannot allow Hong Kong and frivolous lawsuits to derail the trade negotiations that Trump is executing on behalf of our nation.

Re:

[Anonymous Bullard]

The names behind the "malware company" indicate that the plaintiffs were mainland Chinese who were simply operating behind the facade of an easily registered Hong Kong "Ltd".

Practically anyone with a little cash can register a company there, but particularly mainland Chinese companies and individuals are increasingly using the territory to mask their de facto origins.

My guess is that whatever operations this company had were conducted across the border in mainland China. Incidentally I would also guess that

hm

[HussDelRio]

> the malware would compromise victims' Facebook accounts and use access to these accounts to place new ads, on behalf of the infected users

That sounds just like Facebook but with extra steps

Re:

[hispeedzintarwebz]

I wonder if this is where all those Ray Ban bullshit ads were coming from. They were prevalent for a really long time, but I haven't seen one in a while.

They really have been cutting back lately

[gmack]

Lately most of the fraudulent ads are gone, the downside is that now I can't log in without seeing a crapton of the ACV gummy ads posted by the company I work for

So let me get this straight...

[Raistlin77]

Facebook is suing ILikeAd Media for using their platform to do exactly what we all know Facebook intended it to do.

qui cum canibus concumbunt cum pulicibus surgent.

[spun]

He that lieth down with dogs shall rise up with fleas.

adware IS malware

[mapkinase]

Adware is malware for the brain

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