BALTIMORE, MD – Maryland Attorney General Anthony G. Brown joined a bipartisan coalition of 35 attorneys general on December 17, 2025, in calling on Meta to strengthen enforcement of its advertising policies for pharmaceutical and wellness products on Instagram and Facebook. The letter addresses a rise in ads promoting GLP-1 weight loss drugs, many of which involve non-FDA-approved versions and AI-generated content, with expectations of increased activity during the holiday season and into the new year.
The coalition highlighted that GLP-1 drugs, originally developed for diabetes management and later approved for weight loss in certain cases, have seen rapid growth in popularity. This surge has coincided with an increase in direct-to-consumer advertising on Meta platforms. Dozens of companies reportedly use Meta’s tools to run thousands of ads for these products, most promoting compounded or non-FDA-approved formulations.
Meta maintains policies governing pharmaceutical and health and wellness ads. These require advertisers to provide information on medical effectiveness and affordability, limit targeting to adults, and avoid promoting a “perfect” body type or fostering unhealthy body images. Ads must not declare an ideal appearance to aspire to in connection with diet, weight loss, or related products.
Despite these rules, the attorneys general stated that many ads on the platforms conflict with them. Advertisements often exploit dissatisfaction with body image, framing weight loss as a means to gain self-confidence, desirability, or social mobility rather than focusing on health benefits. Common elements include close-up body images, side-by-side comparisons, and promotions tied to events such as holidays, weddings, birthdays, and vacations. These ads frequently promise rapid weight loss while omitting disclosures about risks and side effects associated with the medications.
A key issue raised involves the use of unlabeled AI-generated content. Examples include fabricated before-and-after images and nonexistent spokespeople. One reported ad depicted an AI-generated model achieving a 208-pound loss in three weeks. Others featured fake representations of law enforcement officers, nurses, and pharmacists endorsing the products.
The coalition requested that Meta not only enforce its current policies more effectively but also adopt additional measures. These include restricting prescription drug advertisements in the United States to FDA-approved products only, requiring clear disclosures of risks and potential side effects in content promoting weight loss products, prohibiting the use of AI-generated content in such ads, and redirecting users searching for weight loss products to safety and educational resources.
Attorney General Brown participated alongside attorneys general from North Carolina, Connecticut, Ohio, Pennsylvania, American Samoa, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Delaware, District of Columbia, Hawaii, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, and Washington.
The action reflects broader concerns about consumer protection in digital advertising, particularly for health-related products where misleading information can influence medical decisions. GLP-1 medications, when properly prescribed and monitored, carry approved uses but also known side effects that require informed consideration. The letter emphasizes the need for platforms to align advertising practices with existing standards to protect users from deceptive claims.
This multistate effort follows the rapid expansion of online marketing for weight management solutions. Enforcement of platform policies remains essential as technology like AI enables more sophisticated, yet potentially misleading, promotional content. The coalition’s recommendations aim to enhance transparency and reduce risks associated with unregulated or misrepresented products in the wellness space.