ABC investigation finds Meta paying controversial Australian creators

techAug 6, 2026121,973

An ABC NEWS Verify investigation found Meta is directly paying several controversial Australian content creators, including Hugo Lennon, a far-right agitator with neo-Nazi links who hurled racist abuse at Indian prime minister Narendra Modi and has received revenue through Facebook's Content Monetization program since September 2025. The Noticer, a far-right site that regularly promotes white supremacist and neo-Nazi ideologies, earned money from the same program from November 2025 and briefly stopped receiving payments between January 11 and February 15, 2026. A page tied to the anti-immigration group March for Australia registered for the monetisation program in December 2025, and Monica Smit, founder of Reignite Democracy Australia, joined the program in September 2025 after earning advertising revenue on Facebook as far back as 2017. ABC found content from these pages at times appears to violate Facebook's own monetisation policies, while Meta told ABC it has clear policies for monetisation tool users and that it is not Meta's role to police offensiveness. Facebook distributed nearly $3 billion US to an estimated 16.2 million monetised accounts in 2025; the investigation used disclosures collated by tech policy nonprofit What To Fix, whose executive director Victoire Rio said those disclosures mean Facebook is in a business relationship with these people and organisations. The Noticer is currently suspended on X with a notice that the account violated X's Hateful Profile Policy; Hugo Lennon, Monica Smit, The Noticer and March for Australia did not respond to ABC's requests for comment.

Bruno J. Navarro

@brunojnavarro.bsky.social

An ABC NEWS Verify investigation has found Facebook's parent company, Meta, is directly paying several controversial content creators including a white nationalist with Neo-Nazi links and a prominent anti-vaxxer.

192145d ago

NotchNEK ❌👑48

Great get for ABC news. Yet more evidence that Facebook is encouraging, and profiting from, making people hate each other. Buyer beware.

Voteeveryrepublicanout29

These social media sites are ridiculously sinister as time goes on. Spain and England people being whipped into frenzies….If that’s the case. They should ALL be shut down. Lies aren’t free speech

Martijon28

Zuck is completely amoral. Seems to be a common trait among new billionaire class in US.

Bruno J. Navarro22

More than 50 offending image and video ads were published across Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, or Threads, according to Meta’s ad library data. Some ran as recently as this week.

Res-Intel18

Anyone paying attention on FB has noticed the hardcore, right-wing push.

James Meguerian14

Disgusting. Meta is a societal evil at this point, however it started. Why does it conduct its business this way; must be the MONEY. I have eliminated all investments touching Meta; more folks should

Quoting this

Arizona Right Watch36

I noticed a local neo-Nazi recently got monetized on Meta and this is someone who has been repeatedly banned from most platforms and has been arrested numerous times over his racial harassment/ stunts. Like, Meta is really helping to monetize some true bottom of the barrel fuckers here.

Julia Is Waving, Not Drowning35

obviously I am not a bit shocked, but thank you, Australian Broadcasting Company, for finding these detailed receipts

Alom Shaha20

We literally live in the age of evil supervillains.

Maggie McNeill16

Why does *anyone* still trust Mark Zuckerberg?

The Dax Symbiont 🏴🏳️‍⚧️🌲🇵🇸10

If you are, correctly, not using Twitter anymore because of Nazis and grok making CSAM you should also get off Facebook Instagram etc because of the Nazis and CSAM

Pandemic 𓅃. Index5

I hope Emily Oster is proud to be amongst such wonderful, important voices to be bankrolled by Mark Zuckerberg. www.panaccindex.info/p/profile-em...

Mel🏳️‍🌈 she/they universal healthcare now5

Shut down Meta. Nazi fucks.

Alopex Fox4

Cambridge Analytica was a DECADE ago.

Litahart72🌎🏳️‍🌈✌️🫶🏼🌅💔3

😳propaganda from foreign investors and divisive influencers

Scott Shields3

The rabid keyboard monkeys in James Gunn's Superman were such an apt depiction of this bullshit.

Who Targets Me

@whotargets.me

Investigation from Australia on Meta paying far-right content creators, despite them likely breaking Meta's criteria for monetisation (in one case, even X has banned the account). More excellent work from @whattofix.tech. www.abc.net.au/news/2026-08...

1145d ago

Kay in the End Times 🏳️‍🌈 💗💜💙📚

@jennykaynz.bsky.social

Facebook revenue programme pays far-right accounts that promote white supremacist and neo-Nazi ideologies. Rage-bait should be banned under Facebook's Content Moderation Policies but instead it's rewarded for click. #NZpol www.rnz.co.nz/news/world/9...

1244d ago

Echidna

@andygr60.bsky.social

Is ANYONE surprized by this? ANYONE? Appalling conduct by FB/Meta If this is happening in here it is happening everywhere. 100% www.abc.net.au/news/2026-08...

545d ago

Yaël Eisenstat

@yaeleisenstat.bsky.social

Just a reminder that Meta not only allows white supremacy & hate speech to flourish, they actually incentivize it by sometimes PAYING CREATORS FOR IT. When even X bans someone it says "violates the X Hateful Profile Policy" but Meta PAYS that same creator, Meta should have some explaining to do.

1244d ago

BeeDubya

@bdubaus.bsky.social

Reasonable Australians expect the federal government to take action to prosecute organisations or companies who fund neo-Nazis. Any any hate group. @albomp.bsky.social this is on you. #auspol www.abc.net.au/news/2026-08...

845d ago

Nita Cosby

@5-2blue.bsky.social

A white nationalist with neo-Nazi links who hurled racist abuse at the Indian prime minister during his visit last month is being paid by Facebook's parent company, Meta, to produce content. www.abc.net.au/news/2026-08...

344d ago

WHAT TO FIX

@whattofix.tech

Monetization is not passive. When Meta pays creators, it is not merely “hosting speech.” It's entering into a commercial relationship, deciding who can earn, and shaping the market for content. Have a look at the data for yourself: monetization.wtf

145d ago

James Neal - will know what will happen when it does.

@jameswneal.bsky.social

Meta would not comment directly on the pages, but said it had "clear policies in place which anyone using our monetisation tools must comply with" and that "it is not Meta's role to police offensiveness". www.abc.net.au/news/2026-08...

45d ago

Tilly "Tots”

@tiltnweave.bsky.social

Why does it take so much to make the right-wing realize they're being played? Fuckerberg wants you to engage because HE makes money. Dump everything Meta -- FB, FB Marketplace, Instagram, WhatsApp and those awful "ai" glasses.

45d ago

nevyn

@nevyn8.bsky.social

This wouldn't be an issue if people didn't support #meta #facebook #instagram Meta is a deliberate anagram of meat because their intended demographic is muppets (meat puppets) Q: Are you a muppet? A: Yes, I use meta B: Probably, but at least I don't use meta C: Fuck you, I won't do what you tell me

45d ago

Glen Jackson

@glenjackson.bsky.social

TO BE CLEAR: ANYONE THAT IS POSTING FACTUAL INFORMATION ON #FACEBOOK IS CONSIDERED A #TERRORIST BY #MARKZUCKERBERG AND THAT’S WHY THEY HAVE TO SUPPRESS THE VOICE OF THE PEOPLE. NOTHING LIKE PROTECTING PEDOPHILES, SEX TRAFFICKERS, MONEY LAUNDERERS, & WAR CRIMINAL BUDDIES. #BennyJohnson 👇🏽

46d ago

1 source

abc.net.auFacebook isn't just giving these agitators a platform: it's paying them

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ABC investigation finds Meta paying controversial Australian creators

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