National Crime Prevention Council's Paul DelPonte says platforms owe users ads from "a legitimate enterprise"
National Crime Prevention CouncilExecutive director of the National Crime Prevention Council, quoted by Forbes
Paul DelPonte, executive director of the National Crime Prevention Council, told Forbes that platforms owe their customers and users, at a very minimum, that an ad they made money on comes from a legitimate enterprise. Forbes reported that the council had flagged fake Aerie ads to TikTok.
“You owe it to your customers and users that the ad you just made money on is from a legitimate enterprise at a very minimum”
Reporting
Reporting
Where this statement fits
Did TikTok weaken its scam-ad enforcement, as Forbes reports?
Forbes reported on October 7, 2026 that TikTok reduced the advertiser violations triggering immediate bans from 37 to 13 in late 2025, weakening action against non-delivery scams. TikTok spokesperson Jessica Casano-Antonellis rejected the allegations and said the company had strengthened enforcement. The dispute concerns the reported internal rule changes and their effect on advertiser sanctions.
Source and context
Reporting
About this source
Forbes reports internal policy changes and includes TikTok's rejection of its allegations.
Archived copy (opens in a new tab)Reporting
About this source
Licensed republication of the same investigation, including the company response.
Before the quotation
Forbes reported that TikTok told the council it took down fake Aerie ads the council had flagged in late October 2025, while more than 30 people reported to the Better Business Bureau between November and February 2026 that they bought from a fake Aerie site after seeing it on TikTok.
After the quotation
Forbes reported that multiple sources said TikTok's automated review may remove individual ads but does little to stop repeat offenders because the platform lacks an escalating advertiser-violation system.
How this statement is classified
The label describes this statement's response within the context above.
Why this label?
The reference point is whether TikTok weakened its scam-ad enforcement, as Forbes reports. DelPonte, whose council flagged fake ads to TikTok, says platforms owe users at least that an ad they profit from comes from a legitimate enterprise, which criticizes the lax advertiser screening that Forbes describes, so we labeled it Condemned. The closest competing label is Challenged the characterization, because he speaks about platforms in general; he says it in a report about TikTok's scam ads, so it loses.
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More from this case
Read the full caseTikTok spokesperson Jessica Casano-Antonellis says Forbes's "false allegations misrepresent" the company's enforcement
TikTok
“These false allegations misrepresent TikTok’s commitment to advertiser safety, platform integrity, and enforcement ... TikTok strictly prohibits fraudulent and deceptive advertising, and we have continuously strengthened our policies and enforcement systems to address evolving risks and safeguard our community and partners.”Read statement
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- The Dispute Index
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- National Crime Prevention Council's Paul DelPonte says platforms owe users ads from "a legitimate enterprise"
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- https://disputeindex.com/events/5461-paul-delponte-executive-director-of-the-national-crime
Last updated marks the most recent saved version of this published statement.
The Dispute Index. "National Crime Prevention Council's Paul DelPonte says platforms owe users ads from "a legitimate enterprise"". First published: 2026-10-10. Last updated: 2026-10-10. https://disputeindex.com/events/5461-paul-delponte-executive-director-of-the-national-crime